Origins in Time
by The Optimistic Scholar
Summary: No one ever said change was easy, especially when you're sixteen. Kim and Shego Possible's life has more or less quieted down until something turns their daughter's life upside down, leaving her to roll with the punches as only a Possible can. But with the Possible Family spring vacation just around the corner, maybe Mom and Momma give Gracie a vacation from her problems as well.
1. Chapter 1

For the last twenty one years, one Kimberly Anne Possible liked to think that she had experienced it all. She'd saved the world on more than one occasion in every conceivable scenario even the most fanatical action movie guru could name, she'd gotten pregnant by none other than her arch-rival and in turn married her, and all of that by the time she was 18. In the years since…well…she still continued to save the world, albeit with her adoring and breathtaking wife, she was now the mother of not only that first miracle but three more, and she had established her in the literary world as a force to be reckoned with, winning two Nebula Awards and a Pulitzer for Fiction, the first to win for science fiction in over twenty years. When not saving the world of some new supervillain or accepting some award at a benefit…she drove carpool, she taught Sunday School, and chaperoned fieldtrips. Who'd have thought that she'd have wound up such a suburbanite?

Which didn't count a bit in situations like this!

Gracie Anne Possible's door had slammed so hard that more than a few family photos hit the carpeted floor, thankfully still intact…though right now, those photos were the least of their worries. They'd been having dinner, a relatively nice one in fact, a bit of a celebration in fact. The twins, Emily and Zoe, had received a blue ribbon in the elementary school science fair for their homemade solar energy panel and all had agreed that that certainly warranted a first rate meal of the twins' choice. They'd just about finished up a dessert of lemon yogurt cake when the Billy Murphy's phone call had arrived. The writer in Kim had known that her daughter had had one of those romances that every writer dreamed of encapsulating in their works. Ever since they were little, her daughter and Billy Murphy had been like two peas in a pod. And when they had "taken their relationship to the next level"…well Shego had reacted all too predictably, that was for sure, but Kim couldn't have been happier. Those two were genuine all-American sweethearts.

Of course, then reality had to show its big ugly face. Billy's father, Greg, had served with the Middleton Police Department with distinction and had been something of a liaison with Team Possible over the years…which made it all the more difficult to hear that due to his exemplary record, and in no small part because of the constant praise from one Kim Possible, Greg had been offered…and accepted a position with the Pennsylvania State Police…in Philadelphia. That had been hard enough for poor Gracie to swallow, having to conduct their relationship with the entire state of Pennsylvania between them, but her oldest wasn't willing to let it go…which gave Kim an educated guess as to the reason for her daughter's current state.

"If I ever see that sniveling little worm again, I am going to burn him to cinders," Shego fumed, pacing back and forth across the bedroom. Their room was soundproof but…that only kept sounds from getting out. "I have half a mind to drive to Philadelphia and SHOW him…"

"…how you are going to get right back into bed, Eme," Kim sighed, climbing out from under the sheets and pulling the older woman back towards the bed.

"Princess…I…how can you be…so…" Shego sputtered yet still allowing herself to be guided to the bed. "I mean…our daughter is in her room…she's been crying her eyes out for the past…" Shego glanced at the alarm clock next to her bedside "…the past five hours and you expect me to…"

"I expect to let this run its course. Believe me, it's the best course of action."

He'd broken up with her. As much as she hated to admit it, all the evidence pointed to that inevitable conclusion…which meant that the family was in for a rough couple of weeks…if they were lucky. Billy Murphy was her first…her ONLY love…and that wasn't something that you got over immediately. With your first…it was like having a knife shoved into your chest and carving out your heart, like part of your world was coming to an end…at least that was how Kim had felt when Truman Cooper had dumped her. She wasn't proud of it but…she just may have barricaded herself in her room for the better part of a week…and written several collections of "poetry" about the darkness of the soul…but such was the life of a teenager. Eme…bless her heart and damn those who broke it…had a far from typical adolescent experience, making her something of a Mama Bear when it came to the children.

Kim nuzzled up to her wife's warm bare flesh, her head nestled just below the breast. "Shego…this isn't something that you can beat to death; believe me. If you try to, it's only going to make things worse. All we can do is be there for Gracie and…I guess help her move on." A long well-muscled arm snaked around her, pulling her close. "Your first break-up is always bad, even worse when you've been together as long as Gracie and Billy had. I…kind of had a…Goth phase after Jeremy Simpson…"

"YOU had a Goth phase? God, please tell me Ron has pictures!"

"ANYWAY," Just for that, Shego deserved a little pinch. "I barricaded myself in my room for…I guess the better part of a week…and came out looking like I hadn't seen the sun for twice as long…and I guess I kind of ran with it. I wrote books of…I guess you could call it 'poetry'. I developed a taste for Nirvana and…slept with Kurt Cobain poster over my bed. I went completely off my rocker. I'm just glad I could never successfully dye my hair black."

"Oh God…so Gracie's going to fly off her rocker and start listening to groups like Veritas, get really pale and…"

"And look like you?" Damn…her wife didn't usually leave the door open for things like that.

"Why you…oooookay, I walked right into that one." Kim didn't see but she knew that her wife's eyes had drifted back towards the door. "Kimmie, I'm serious, though. It breaks my heart to see her like this and…when she was born, you and I swore that we would protect her from all the evil in the world. I…I don't like fighting an enemy that I can't see."

"I know, Eme, I know."

Except that Billy Murphy wasn't the enemy and it was unfair to think of him in that way. Kim could still remember telling the kids bedtime stories during Gracie's sleepovers. She'd driven him home from school more times than she could count and the same for Shego. Greg Murphy had saved her and Shego's lives at least a half dozen times and…despite being stereotypical Irish Catholic, Lori Murphy had been one of Kim and Shego's staunchest defenders when Shego had started teaching and a few citizens were less than thrilled about not only a lesbian teaching at the school but one that had successfully conceived a child. Until…well…until they'd started dating, Billy Murphy was like a son to her. Heck, the whole Murphy clan was like family to the Possibles and...

"You know what; Abby's got the twins and Nicky tomorrow. I'm going to schedule us a makeover at the salon. I know it's cliché but when I was her age, that was a sure fire cure for relationship woes."

"Now that I think about it, I remember something about Global Justice taking possession of a couple of B-17 Flying Fortresses a warlord in the Congo had in his possession. I think I can call in a favor and get some flight time on one of them."

"There you go. That's the best thing for her right now, getting her mind off of it. THAT'S how we fight something that we can't see! She's going to be feeling better in no time!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Well…"no time" was a little optimistic. From where Shego was standing, things looked pretty darn bad, so bad that…well…she was getting a little scared. For the past 17 years, Shego had taught high school English to upwards 400 students and while her own youthful experiences with high school were akin to a Turkish prison, she liked to think that she'd at least gotten of the inner workings, the same way a documentarian learned about chimps…sometimes more similar than people imagined. Anyway, she'd seen relationships come and go that were straight out of the worst after-school teen dramas that had ever been attempted but…something about this just seemed horribly wrong.

From the moment Gracie had left her room, it was like something out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. She settled back into her usual routine of school, basketball, and a myriad of other things but…she may as well have been a zombie for all the emotion that she displayed. Kim's makeover day, Shego's flight time…Gracie went through it all like…she couldn't even describe it. Neither could Kim…which scared Shego far more than she could admit. The same was said for Gracie's teachers. Kimmie had said that helping their daughter get over it was the best course of action…despite the fact that she REALLY wanted to hit something…but even Kim was getting worried.

The sky was soft and purple as Shego made the quick dash through the still chilly February pre-dawn towards the gym. Everyone was still asleep and…she just needed to vent, do SOMETHING to calm her mind and there was a practice dummy in there with her name on it. The door…slid open? That wasn't supposed to happen…and her memories of this past October were only too clear. Plasma ball in hand, she peeked around the corner and…heaved a sigh of relief far more audible than she'd intended. The lights were on and Gracie was standing in front of the bay windows at the far end. It was…just such a relief to…in a way…see Gracie out of her routine…ironically that Shego had wanted her to get back into in the first place…

"Muffin…what're you doing up so early?"

Gracie's head swung around. "Momma…I…I'm sorry. I…guess I was having trouble sleeping. I'll go back to my…"

"No…that's okay sweetie. I don't mind at all. It's just good to see you out and about right now. How…how about a run on the treadmill? Give your ol' Momma a run for her money? Maybe…we could put Billy Murphy's picture on one of the practice dummies and beat the crap out of it?"

The laugh was small…but it was like music to Shego's ears. For the first time in over a week, she could see her baby girl again. Much to Shego's disappointment, Gracie elected not to choose the practice dummy, not that she likely would've, but the two were soon side-by-side, building up a good pace at around four miles per hour. Normally they'd have had some kind of music going but…Shego couldn't help but sneak glances at Gracie. She seemed okay…if a little overly focused on the opposite wall.

"Momma," Shego was barely able to keep her feet. "I…I know I've been a little…depressed lately. I…I'm sorry if you and Mom were scared."

Man, she was so much like Kimmie it was ridiculous. Gracie was going through who knew what kind of inner turmoil and she was worried about how it was affecting her family. Her daughter cared so much, gave so much of herself to the rest of the world…and asked for nothing in return. As if from hitting the same "off" button, the treadmills came to a stop and Shego turned to face her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Sweetie…I…you…I just…" Shego couldn't put the words together. "Tell me what I can do. Tell me how I can help you feel better. Whatever it takes…whoever we have to talk to…I promise…whatever I can do, I'll do it in a heartbeat. Just…please talk to me."

"Mom, I…I'm sorry. I…I'm not…I mean I don't want to commit…"

Oh…Shego's hugs were always tight but she could feel her embrace going even tighter. Thank God! THANK GOD! Every scenario imaginable had been going through her head, everything that she could possibly have to hear and…she dared not even think about…even the mere thought of it made Shego want to…but…but it wasn't…she didn't have to…she…she needed to sit down. She felt her arms begin to release and it felt like Gracie was guiding her towards the windows. The padded wall pressed against her back and she felt Gracie take her hand.

"Gracie…I…when you have kids…you'll understand just how much those words mean. So…I mean, if anyone's got a right to be upset right now it's you but…you've kind of been like a pod person for the last few days. I mean…you and I had 54000 lbs. of all-American awesomeness at our fingertips and…not a peep. I mean we actually pulled off a flipping BARREL ROLL in a B-17 and you acted like it was an everyday thing. You can't let Billy have that kind of effect on you!"

"I know, Momma. I…it's…it's not…yes, Billy broke up with me but…it's not that. Billy…he can date whoever he wants in Philadelphia as far as I'm concerned. But…I…I feel like…I don't know. Part of my life has just disappeared and…I don't know how…or what to do."

Well…there was certainly some truth to that. Philadelphia had gained one of the best families in Middleton. Kim had said it often enough and Shego fully agreed. Greg and Lori Murphy were and always would be family. Shego herself had taught Hank and Teddy Murphy, Billy's older brothers, even going to so far as to write a Letter of Recommendation for both, one to Annapolis for Hank and one to Norwich University for Teddy, and she meant every word of it. Billy…he'd been an integral part of Gracie's group of friends since they were six, they were in the same band…this would be the same as if Mary or Jimmy would've moved away. Gracie had seriously had her world rocked by these events.

"I guess it's a lot to take in, kind of like losing a limb, but…Sweetie, you can't let this get you down. If your cause is worthwhile, you will be pushed to the brink of hopelessness just before you emerge on the other side."

"What…what part of the Bible was that from?"

"Oh, that's not Jesus, someone far wiser…George Lucas."

That got another laugh, a little louder. "You're such a nerd."

"Aw, you know you love it…but I'm serious. Billy was just one chapter in…well…what's already a pretty exciting story and one that is only going to get more exciting. Mark my words. Every great literary character faces adversity right on the verge of what is to be their greatest triumph, their grandest adventure. Skywalker lost his hand in the battle on Cloud City. MacDuff lost his family to Macbeth just before he faced him in combat. I…hope…you're not about to lose your hand and your Mom and I certainly aren't about to go quietly into that goodnight…so, I can only assume you've got something BIG," Shego pointed out the window, "just over that horizon."

"It's just…so hard sometimes. Ever since Billy left, there were days that I just…had to fight to even get out of bed in the morning."

"Well…that's tougher. I guess you take solace in the fact that there are others that you can talk to who have gone through the same thing," Okay; Shego could feel things starting to get better. It was a calculated risk…and she would pay for it, that was for damn sure, but…well…well-behaved women never made history. "You know, your Mom and I were talking last week and SHE told me that when her middle school boyfriend dumped her…Mom had a Goth phase!"

The smile spread across Gracie's face like a wave. Her eyes got big and…yeah, she was going to exactly the same place Shego had went to. The idea of her wife with pale skin and headphones blaring Godsmack or Nirvana, the image of her…relatively normal…wife clad in black leather and chains, Shego could only IMAGINE what Kim's room had looked like. Dear sweet Kimmie was never one to do things by halves. SOMEBODY had to have pictures of that time, Mom, Ron, SOMEBODY.

"Oh man, tell me Grandma has pictures!"

"That's my girl. You know, she was half worried that you were going to turn that way."

"ME? Are you kidding? I hate black, can't stand leather…and have you heard what that crowd listens to? It sounds like…a penguin trying to have sex with a platypus or something like that."

Well…uh…penguins…with a platypus? Not that Shego would disagree but…how in the world did Gracie know what…actually, she probably didn't know about that. She couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"WHAT?" Gracie glanced at her sideways. "It was all I could think of." For good measure, she stuck her tongue out.

Shego felt like a ton of bricks was lifted off her shoulders, brick by brick. With each brick, Gracie was sounding more and more like herself, the peppy and above all quirky 16 year old all-American teenager. With every word, Shego just felt…well a lot more at ease than she had. It felt…pretty good that Gracie felt comfortable to talk about things like this with her Momma. I mean…well…it had kind of moved out of the realm of boyfriend problems but… "You know, you usually only talk about this stuff with your Mom."

As if on cue the door swung open and Kimmie walked in, clad in her workout clothes. The younger Possible immediately locked eyes with the older, both knowing exactly what the other was thinking. _What was going on?_ Before Shego could say anything Gracie was on her feet and making her way towards Kim, wrapping her up in a hug, much to Kimmie's surprise and appreciation. Shego would be lying if she said she wasn't partly worried about how Kim would've handled this long term, especially after everything that Kimmie had gone through on their last mission. Her wife was doing so much better but…she'd always be the first to ignore the chinks in her own armor.

"Wow…someone's in a good mood," She smiled as Gracie let her go. "I think I may have missed something?"

"Momma and I…had a long overdue talk about my afterschool teen drama moment; so not the drama," Gracie smiled as she led Kim into the gym. "I'm sorry, Mom. I…guess I've just got a lot on my mind and kind of let it get the better of me. I guess it kind of WAS the drama."

"Hey," Kim thumped Gracie on the shoulder. "Trust me; you handled your first break up far better than most I know."

"Yeah, I hear that sometimes breakups can be positively GOTHIC."

"SHEGO! WHY YOU LITTLE…"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I've been wanting to get back to this universe for a long time, in particular getting started on this story. I thought the Leverage crossover worked pretty well and this one I've been thinking about for a LONG time. Not to give away too much but I've got to give mad props to Hopeful Husky for inspiring me to do my own origins story and this will be bringing together two of my favorite series from what seems like forever ago._


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Gracie; hold up a sec!"

Gracie stowed her books in her locker and turned to see Clark Sterns standing a few lockers down. It had to be another one. Ever since she and Billy…ended things…"potential suitors" as Mom called them had been coming out of the woodwork. She and Billy had been together for so long…and she shouldn't go there! Anyway, she had never realized just how many boys attended Middleton High School. She liked to think that she was decently popular; she had her main circle of close friends but with Choir, Church, and Basketball, her list of friends had grown considerably but…even Seniors were coming up to her and asking about her plans. Not that she'd really consider that…or better yet, not that Momma would ever let her out of the house with a senior.

"I…uh…I just wanted to know if you were planning on going to Harper's party tonight."

Well…Harper Bakker was a friend from the team so most of them were expected to be there…and thanks to Mary, the team wasn't about to let her spend yet another Friday night as they put it "moping around at home and having a three-way with Ben and Jerry", so yes, the answer was most likely that she was going to be there and told Clark as much.

"Great; save me a dance?"

"You know," Mary sighed, rolling her eyes as the two headed towards the gymnasium for practice. "Most girls would…I don't know…APRECIATE having literally every boy in school drooling over the chance at going out with her. You know, rumor has it Mason Bakker is going to be there too."

"What a surprise; he's going to be at his own sister's party."

Man, Mary Stewart was her best friend in the world and she loved her…but the girl could learn some sense of subtlety. She, Mom, and Momma WERE right about moving on but…it just felt like things were moving too fast. Billy was a large part of not just her life but Mary and Jimmy's too and…right now, she was just trying to figure out how to get along without that large part. Dating was…not for a while yet, no matter what her friends said. Right now, she just needed…something other than a relationship to occupy her time and…she was actually looking forward to practice.

The JV Middleton Mad Dogs were currently holding onto a 10-0 record and were on the verge of going undefeated with only four games left to go. These were the kind of moments that you saw in the movies…and she was a part of one right now. One by one, Upperton, Lowerton, Erie Northern, Jamestown, and the like fell until it finally dawned on all of them that they had a serious groove going…and Gracie was part of it. Now, every game was like they were playing in the Wells Fargo Center in front of 20000 screaming fans, ESPN cameras all around them, though the loudest of them always seemed to share a particular DNA strand with her. While Mom and Momma never missed a home game, Grandma and Grandpa always comprised one heck of a cheering section on any away games that were too far for the twins. The rest of the team never complained, largely because with their record, Grandpa insisted on treating the team to dinner before they left for home.

"Alright, ladies," Coach Schwartz called out. "Get changed and then its four laps around the gym. Move it!"

Well Gracie sure didn't need to be told twice. She darted into the locker room and ran straight for her locker to grab her practice uniform. Clad in her purple jersey and orange shorts, she ran back out and started her jog around the gym with Mary just a pace behind her. Most of the team made short work of the run, being in fair shape, and upon completion, ran over to the racks against the wall to grab their balls. Coach Schwartz always said that it was to remind them of what they were working towards. Work effort without an objective in mind was a waste. After their workout, everyone broke off into groups for four-on-four to start the real practice.

"Alright, Chloe; you ready to take it to these rubes?" Gracie smiled as she took her place at the top of the key.

"Rubes, are we?" Mary bit back. "Sandra, let's show these little girls exactly how it's done."

"Enough chitchat, you four. Get to playing or its more laps!"

Sandra checked the ball with Gracie and the two started jockeying for position. Sports and martial arts all had one thing in common. They were all about taking advantage of whatever openings your opponents presented you with, whether it was weaknesses or simple mistakes. Sandra Cummings was a stand up player, always ready to take a hit for the team in the paint, one of the best defenders they had. Sandra was a little on the short side, a hair over 5'1, but she blocked as well as any of the boys, even the varsity. Getting past her wasn't going to happen. Chloe was darting all over the place, trying to get past Mary and Gracie fired a bounce pass inward, just under Sandra's falling arm. Chloe snatched it up and was immediately blocked by Mary. Now, Mary could block someone when they had the ball but Gracie was just a hair faster. She took off around Sandra and…caught the ball Chloe tossed to her, the lane wide open. She leapt up into the air and the ball sunk into the net with a quiet _swish_.

"OHHHHHHHHH; that's how it's done, Mar?"

"This is going to be a dramatic comeback!" Mary's eyes narrowed. "Pride goes before the fall!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

 _Every man and woman assembled here fights the Empire wherever we can…and for that, we are called outlaws. Out here, in the ass-end of nowhere, we are the only thing keeping them from swallowing up…everything; but now…now we have a chance to take the fight to them like we never have before. The Planetary Confederacy is poised to strike them…to HURT them…where they will never recover. Everyone here is free to do as they please…but my crew and I will be there. I will take the Ares to the Cerunnos system to rendezvous with the 12_ _th_ _fleet…and I will fly straight to Emperor Christof's doorstep and set fire to every Cutter, every Destroyer, every Cruiser that gets in my way until it ends. One way or another…it ENDS!_

Okay…maybe Shego had been making her watch a little too much Star Wars of late but…this wasn't bad in her opinion. The question was whether or not Kim would ever publish it. COULD she ever publish her end to The Feronia Syndicate? Her pioneering work was…like another child. She'd poured her heart and soul into every page of every novel. Oh sure, she'd THOUGHT about how she would end it dozens of times. Everything comes to an end in its own time. Every time she talked about it, though, with the press, with the fans at a book signing, it was always the same, like she was going to put an end to life itself.

Well…she'd know when the right time would be, even if it wasn't now. Maybe she should consider taking a break from the series. Heather kept reminding her about…what was it…six inquiries about co-writing a new project? Some of them sounded pretty intriguing.

"I'm home," Gracie called out as the front door clattered closed.

"Hey, Muffin; how was practice?" Kim closed her notebook and tossed it on the coffee table, getting up, and giving her daughter a hug.

"Okay, I guess; Coach is really pushing us hard," Gracie replied, accepting Kim's kiss on the cheek. "I just stopped by to change before the party…unless you've got something that you need my help with tonight?"

"Nope; you've got the entire night to have fun," Mary had warned them that Gracie was likely to try to weasel out of this but there was going to be NONE of that. While whether or not Gracie actually went out with anybody again was entirely up to her, that girl needed to get out and rejoin civilization, be a teenager. Kim was so determined, she'd even waved Gracie's curfew for tonight, something that had required some SERIOUS talking with Shego to pull off. "That's all anybody's asking you to do; go out and spend time with your friends."

"Well…that's all YOU'RE asking; Mary and the team…not so much. I swear, everybody's got a brother or a cousin…and that's not counting the rest of the male student body. I'm just…I don't know if I'm ready."

That was a pretty fair response and Kim certainly couldn't blame her. When she and Josh Mankey had parted ways, it seemed the entire cheer team…minus Bonnie Rockwaller of course…kept trying to set her up with what seemed like any red blooded male with a pulse. Kim, however, hadn't been dumped by someone that she had known for near her entire life. Gracie could certainly fend for herself but…such was the life of an American teenager these days. Kim would never have wished that it would've been HER teenager, though.

That was the double-edged sword of living in a town like Middleton. Kim couldn't imagine living anywhere else but…it would always have something of a small town feel to it. People weren't exactly nosy but there were few secrets in the community like this. You didn't have to lock your doors at night…unless you were a Possible, of course…but everyone knew what was going on.

Maybe that was the answer. Gracie just needed to get her face around some new people. The schools were about to break for Spring vacation in a week. Kim and Shego had been batting around a few options in recent weeks. Nothing was set in stone; one of the many perks of having your own jet (at least until Shego finally admitted that the new hovercraft was "ready"). Shego had been pushing for a tour of the North East, visiting Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, certainly bound to be a lot of fun but…where could they go that would really get Gracie excited?

"Mary's here," Gracie sped down the stairs and towards the door, nearly colliding with Abby and Little Brady. "Hi, Abby; bye, Abby."

"Man," Abby laughed as she hoisted a sack of groceries onto the counter and walked over to Kim. "Gracie has no idea how lucky she is. She thinks having Shego is bad? Try being the youngest with four older brothers. When I was fifteen and found out Benny Thomas was 'cheating on me' with Heather Pruit, they found the poor kid stripped to his boxers and duct taped to a tree in Hawkins orchard. Now…Mom could never quite PROVE that it was Charlie and the other guys that were behind it…and I didn't exactly have the heart to tell her that Benny was found in the same section of trees that Ray harvested during the summer."

Somehow, Kim wasn't at all surprised. She and Shego had met most of Abby's family when she and Seamus tied the knot last August and Charlie and Ray Normal had been memorable to say the least. Not rude or inappropriate…but certainly the life of the party. Her other brothers, Bobby and Steve, were both in the Army at the time but Kim could certainly imagine them. It's no wonder she went into law enforcement.

"She sure seems to be handling it well, though."

"Yeah, slowly but surely," Kim replied, taking her nephew so that Abby could stretch the knots out of her back. Who could blame her? When you looked at him little three-month old Brady O'Sullivan didn't look any bigger than a baby his size…but holding this kid was like carrying an anvil across a football field. That kid was literally all bones and muscle. "Hey, I was thinking a change in scenery would be just the thing to really get Gracie's mind off this whole mess; any ideas where we should go for Spring break?"

"You know…it's actually kind of funny that you ask," Abby took her son back so Kim could start putting the groceries away. "Seamus and I are planning a trip to Ireland to visit his family, introduce Brady so to speak."

THAT was big news! Seamus hadn't been back to Northern Ireland since…well…since about the time he and Abby had first met…so that would be HER introduction to the family as well. Seamus's father hadn't been in the picture since Seamus had left for the Army, an abusive ingrate from what Kim knew. According to Seamus, he'd quite frequently take a beating from the bastard to spare his mother or his younger sister. When Seamus turned 18, he left for the Army and returned with his squad and proceeded to give his alleged "father" the beating of his life, parting with the words that if he ever laid a finger on either of them, if Seamus ever so much as smelled the man's cheap brand of whiskey, he and his mates would slice the him to ribbons and tie a bow with his corpse. The man disappeared the next day and was never heard from again, as far as anyone knew.

"Oh God…are you ready for that?"

"I…I've got some butterflies, okay?" Abby stuck out her tongue. "Seamus hasn't been back in a long time and a couple of his cousins are in town…and he thinks it's the perfect time to introduce his new family."

Okay…that WAS pretty romantic, Kim had to admit. She wrapped her arms around her friend in a hug. "They are going to love you. But what exactly does that have to do with our family vacation?"

"Well…I kind of reached out to Mother O'Sullivan and…she would very much like Seamus's nieces, nephew, and sisters-in law to be in attendance too."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"You're kidding me?" Shego blurted out.

Man, miss a little and you miss a lot. She and the twins had gotten home just as Abby had been walking out with Brady to her Land Rover, a smile as big as the whole outdoors plastered across her face and only a word to talk to Kim and an offer to invite the girls to a sleepover, which of course Emily and Zoe were only too eager to take up. Gracie, if Shego remembered correctly, was at a party tonight and wouldn't be back till late…which more or less left Shego and her Princess alone in the house all night, an opportunity that any parent worth their salt with a teenager in the house would jump at. Sure enough, Kim was waiting on the couch with a pair of glasses and a bottle of Shego's favorite Riesling sitting on the coffee table. If DEBS was in the Blu-ray player and a call put in to Romano's for take-out, her wife was getting some serious spousal points that Shego was only to eager to encourage her to cash in at a hopefully not so later date…but alas, the red hot loving Shego was feeling was to wait.

Abs really wanted them to go to with her and Seamus to Ireland?

"What did we do to deserve a friend like her?' Kim smiled after taking a sip of wine. "If Seamus's family is willing, I think it's a pretty good idea."

The idea did hold a lot of merit. Ireland was beautiful in the spring time, County Wexford in particular, and there was loads for everyone to do there. Gracie, of course, would be on cloud 9 the minute they landed and even happier when she got into an Irish pub to hear the music. The twins would love the chance to explore a few castles. And provided that they could bother Abby to watch the kids, the Irish coast could be incredibly romantic.

Of course, it sounded as if her wife had already made up her mind, as she was prone to do. Shego heaved a sigh and took another swallow of wine. Staying anywhere in the British Isles for longer than a few days during her criminal days wasn't worth the ensuing fight, usually with the woman sitting next to her, but a good alias could usually buy her a few days of shopping in London or climbing on the Isle of Skye. Ireland had been a lot easier to hide in as long as you stayed outside the cities. Which wasn't entirely a bad thing; the Irish countryside always had kind of a Zen quality to it, good for just simply sitting down and enjoying her copy of _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_.

"Okay, I'll make a few calls tomorrow, find us a nice place to stay." Shego downed the last of her wine and climbed off the couch. "You know, when I see the nanny offering to take the kids, only saying that I should talk to my wife to find out why…"

"Shego Possible, were you expecting a night of wild and untamed carnal pleasure?"

"Well…Gracie's at a party, the twins are staying with Abby, and Nicky is sound asleep. You know…I don't know about you but I'm feeling a little like dancing." Kim smiled and started to get up…but that was not the kind of "dancing" that Shego had in mind. With a leg limber from decades of training, Shego pressed Kim back onto the couch.

"Shego, what are you…Nicky's upstairs and…"

"And thankfully our son is a very heavy sleeper for an almost two year old. We…are…very…alone."

Mom and Dad, all of her older coworkers and friends, they all said that the key to a happy marriage, especially once your kids had reached a certain age, was never missing a chance to be intimate with each other, a good morning kiss, a back rub or a foot massage, something like that. Her personal favorite was sneaking up on Kimmie in the kitchen for a little make-out session. Gracie squawked like a parrot about being traumatized every time she walked in and caught them. The twins were at that age where all Kim and Shego had to put up with was a bout of giggles from the staircase.

"So you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show," In retrospect, that probably would've sounded better if she were wearing something other than jeans and an old Middleton University sweatshirt.

She turned around and sashayed towards the stereo. She was winging this so she didn't really have anything prepared other than what was on her Shegophone. Billy Joel? No; Tommy James and the Shondells? God no. Bon Jovi, The Who, Foo Fighters, Beyonce? The screen scrolled down and…there we go! That would be perfect!

"Oh," Shego peaked back to her wife. Kimmie's motor was definitely running. Those beautiful C cups just went up and down with every breath that Kimmie took. Those not so little pillows were going to get a SERIOUS workout tonight. "I see one of my regulars is in the club. Looks like I'm really going to have to earn that $20."

"D…damn straight…you are," Kimmie choked out, unable to hide her grin.

Shego smiled and hit the button.

 _Well you're the real tough cookie with a long history_

 _Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me_

 _That's okay let's see how you do it_

 _Put up your dukes, let's get down to it_

"So…does your wife know that you're here?"

 _Author's notes:_

 _Not really much to say in this one. I still picture Kim and Shego as being one of those couples that will be just as passionate with each other when they're sixty as they are when they first got married, kind of a Hal and Lois from Malcolm in the Middle._


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, here's hoping you all have a fun and safe spring break. Now, in an orderly fashion…GET THE HECK OUT OF MY CLASSROOM! WOOOOOOOOO!"

Apparently "orderly language" in hormonal teen language equated to something akin to a room full of chickens running around with their heads cut off. The kids were jostling, shoving, spilling papers all over the place. You'd have thought that the last one out had to spend Spring break HERE. It…wasn't so bad, was it? The bookcases along the back held more than a few classic collections, Chaucer, Virginia Wolf, Charles Dickens, and the like. You could spend a few days reading those. The TV mounted in the upper corner got at least basic cable. The internet security filter could probably be hacked pretty easily and once that was gone, you could use Neflix for anything else. It…it was almost…homey, in a way. There was nothing wrong with that. These kids should BE so lucky to spend Spring Break in Shego's classroom.

Once the room emptied, Shego heaved a contented sigh and leaned back in her chair. The last few days leading up to a vacation were always hard, even more so today with the half day. The kids could probably sense that time off meant just as much to the teachers as it did to the students; and she couldn't lie. She'd been looking forward to this. Gracie's reaction to their new plans had been a little on the predictable side…although cheering and doing three laps around the house had been a bit much, even for her. Redheads were just unstable sometimes. From that day, it'd been all that Gracie could talk about. It…it'd been worth it just to see her get out the Bodhran drum and start playing again. Shego had never been so happy to hear The Little Beggerman or Whiskey in the Jar in all her life. Even the twins were happy to hear their big sister playing again.

And speak of the devil, Shego's ears picked up the steady _thump_ _thump_ of the beater against the goatskin hide, words following shortly after.

 _While in the merry month of May from me home I started,_

 _Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted,_

 _Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother,_

 _Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother,_

 _Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,_

 _Cut a stout black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins;_

 _Bought a pair of brogues rattling o'er the bogs_

 _And fright'ning all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin._

 _One, two, three four, five,_

 _Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road_

 _all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah!_

"Just wait until the O'Sullivans get a look at you," Shego laughed as Gracie pirouetted into the classroom, never missing the beat.

"Momma, thank you so much for this!"

"Oh, you better thank Abby for that. This was entirely her doing," Shego disconnected her laptop and slid it into its case and began gathering up papers.

"Aren't you ready YET?" Gracie moaned.

"Would you relax? You're acting like the island's going to sink into the ocean or something. We're not even leaving until tomorrow morning."

Gracie kept plaguing but one of the good marks of a seasoned parent was the ability to just tune it out. Shego slid her laptop case into her backpack along with a few essays she'd been putting off grading. It WAS an eleven hour flight after all. No harm in sneaking a little work into the vacation. She reached out to switch off the lights and Gracie as good as pushed her down the hallway, halting only long enough to stop at the teacher's lounge. She wasn't about to leave that Saucy Winter Casserole in the fridge to just waste away, no matter how much Gracie wanted to move. Both bid goodbye to the office as they past and Shego decided that she had tortured Gracie enough and started to pick up the pace.

They gave Shego's new Mustang a few minutes to warm up and then pulled into traffic. It was almost non-existent in the direction they were going, unlike the opposite where a mass exodus of parents taking their children to what had to be everywhere in the world. Peterson Elementary School loomed ahead of them, still a little crowded with parents picking up their children but Shego managed to bypass the mess and head for the employee parking lot. The girls' classroom, Mr. McGinty's 5th grade class, was right next to the parking lot and being the daughters of another teacher, Harvey McGinty had no problem letting them out the employee entrance. The girls dashed out bundled up in their identical pale blue spring coats and purple backpacks and ran up to the car as Shego climbed out. Harvey waved and Shego returned it while her charges climbed in, unfortunately taking up their sister's cheer at the prospect of leaving for Spring Break tomorrow morning.

"Good grief, you guys," Shego chuckled, climbing back in. "You'd think you guys had to go to school all year."

The merriment continued all through town and even up the driveway. Gracie burst out of the car as if she'd been shot out of a cannon…but thankfully the twins thought that was going a bit far. God, it was going to be a nightmare when those two got to that age, let alone when Nicky…oh, she couldn't even imagine that far ahead. If there was any justice in the world, God would intervene and make her little baby boy stay her baby forever. Shego held the door open for the girls and ran straight to said baby boy seated at the table.

"There's my little peanut," She pulled him out of his seat and wrapped him up in a hug, planting kisses all over him. Nicky was all giggles and almost seemed like he was trying to kiss her back. What was she saying? OF COURSE he was kissing his Momma back. Nicky nestled securely in the crook of her arm, Shego dropped her bag on the table and moved over to kiss her wife. "Afternoon, Princess."

"Hey," She smiled at met Shego's kiss intended for her cheek, the sneaky little devil. "Students give you too many grey hairs?"

"Eh, not too bad," Shego shook out her loose black hair as if to prove it. "I can't really blame them for looking forward to a little time off. Everything set to go here?"

"Bags are packed, word from the airport is that the plane is fueled and ready, and Mom and Daddy are going to keep an eye on the house while we're gone. By tomorrow morning, the only care I have is where to get the best tan."

Only her wife would plan time to get a tan while visiting Ireland. Not that Shego could complain; Kimmie did bronze brilliantly for a redhead. Now…she technically was on vacation…but didn't leave for the trip for twenty four hours and Kim informed her that everything was set…which left her with absolutely no planned activities…which meant that she knew exactly how she was going to spend her free time. Kim reassured her that she could count this as an afternoon off so she steadied Nicky and headed towards the stairs.

"Now, Nicholas James, you listen to me and you listen good," Shego explained as she marched up the stairs. "One of the first things your great grandmother taught me as that there is no better use for idle hands than quilting. Oh, I would spend hours sitting next to your Great Grandma Nancy and watch her work…and also hear her use language worse than a longshoreman…but that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is that, your Great Grandma passed on all of her greatest secrets and I've used them to create beautiful works of art, at least if your Mom's being generous in her critiques, for you and your sisters. You see these pin pricks?" She held up her hand. "Every one of those is a badge of honor that I wear proudly. Many of these were earned with reindeer quilt that you sleep under," She opened the door to their bedroom and took a seat at her quilting table. "I always said that when I had children, I would carry on Great Grandma's legacy with every one of them and it's high time that you learn about your family legacy."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Man…humanity was not meant to get up so early when they were supposed to be on vacation. No matter how badly Gracie wanted to get started…being up at 3 AM was just…WRONG! How did her parents do it? Through the bleary eyes, she could see Mom and Momma looking like they were just taking a drive through town. No matter where they went, her parents just weren't affected by time changes and…could wake up the moment the alarm sounded, even if it was…well…two in the morning as had happened today. And Gracie…for the life of her, she couldn't get back to sleep

"Everybody awake back there?" Mom called out.

"Cruelty… _YAWN_ …to children," Gracie tried to get out.

"Hyaa…snooze," agreed George.

Mom and Momma both let out a laugh. Well they could laugh the entire trip. Gracie was going to sleep as much as she could on the trip and she was going to snore like a cement mixer. THAT would be something they could laugh at.

Mom's car came to a halt at the gates of Middleton Airport and was quickly waved ahead by the security guards, long since familiar with the comings and goings of the Possibles. The private section of the airport was never really what you could call crowded but this time of day…or night…or…3 IN THE FLIPPING MORNING? The Traverse pulled into the closest hanger and the Gulfstream G650 jet loomed over the car like a whale over a salmon. The car came to a stop and Mom turned to wake up the twins.

"Alright, girls; time to wake up," Mom leaned around and jostled Emily's leg.

Well…Gracie may have been half zonked but the twins were downright zombies; either that or they were sleepwalking. The two walked across the tarmac on unsteady feet and had to be lifted up into the plane. Gracie, meanwhile, climbed into the back seat and began unfastening her brother's car seat.

"Man, little brother, as soon as I wake up, I'm going to tell you all about where we're going," Gracie gave a weak smile as she fought off another yawn. "You're going to love Ireland! It's got the best music and scenery. From what I've read, the food's not exactly…well…food but I expect it's worth trying once. As soon as we land, we're going to have so much fun."

Abby's tan Land Rover came to a halt next to Mom's SUV and Abby quickly appeared holding Brady in an identical car seat. The two bid each other good morning and walked together up into the jet. This was actually the first time on the jet and…immediately she was reminded of the hovercraft. Gracie had known that fine piece of work for her entire life and…once again gave a silent salute to a fallen comrade laid to rest far too early. It was like a second home to her. The Gulfstream, though, didn't look too bad. Gulfstream G650…had a wingspan of just under 100 feet…top speed of Mach One if you were pushing it…had a service ceiling of over 51000 feet…and not for the first time, Gracie though that she might have had a little too much free time. She had no idea how she even knew that. Anyway, the cabin had been reworked into what looked more like an RV. It had a pair of small bunk beds along one side and a series of couches along the other. It had a small kitchen and a bathroom clear at the back along with a series of seats for the adults up front.

The twins at least looked like they were now aware of where they were. Gracie smiled at the as she set Nicky's car seat down and unbuckled him. After stowing the seat in one of the compartments, she led baby brother to one of the couch next to the twins and buckled herself in, hefting Nicky up onto her lap.

"Gracie…what time is it?" Zoe said around a yawn and stretched her limbs.

"Way too early," Gracie smiled, patting her younger sister on the shoulder. "You all buckled in; ready for our next adventure?"

" _YAWN_ …I guess so."

Seamus climbed on, hefting what looked like some kind of Army duffle bag and…that was odd. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation but it almost looked like Seamus gave her a look, kind of like he had some big secret. Now that she thought about it, Seamus had been doing that a lot the last couple of days. Twice the past week she'd booked some simulator time after basketball practice and grabbed a bite to eat with him before heading down and both times he had this kind…almost a smirk, like he had this big surprise for her. It was the same look he got whenever they got close to Gracie's or her sibs' birthdays.

She was just too tired! Seamus could have all the secrets he wanted. She just wanted to shut her eyes and…and all she could think about was the fact that they still had to take off!

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Momma FINALLY climbed in and sealed the door. "Thank you for choosing Possible Family Airlines. My lovely co-pilot and I have completed our external check of the aircraft and will begin start-up momentarily. Those of you who are a little cranky from sleep deprivation will be able to get a few winks as soon as we reach cruising altitude. Is everyone buckled in?"

"Okay, Eme; you've had your fun."

"Oh, you guys are no fun. Middleton Tower, this is Flight Eight Three Niner requesting permission to taxi." There was a momentary pause. "Roger, Tower. We will see you in a week."

There was a rumble as the jet engines came to life and the plane began to lurch forward. Gracie glanced out the window as the world began to pass by. The roar of the engines steadily grew louder , driving them faster and faster, until the plane floated off the ground.

51000 feet ceiling…4000 feet per minute rate of ascent…which still meant that she wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep for another 12 minutes? This was torture!

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Even in the cabin of a jet capable of traveling faster than the speed of sound, there was something truly spiritual, almost religious, about being up this high. The stillness up here…was an entirely different world. There was no fighting, no suffering, no evil up here. As Shego gazed at the purple sky ahead of them, it was like watching the Almighty work before her. Ever so slowly, rays of sunshine began creeping over the horizon and…as if God himself had just flipped a switch, the most brilliant sunrise Shego had ever seen rose above the horizon. This…this was almost Heaven. She looked at Kim in the co-pilot's seat checking their instruments, a course adjustment here, a speed reduction there, but to Shego? She was an angel sent from the heavens, sent to be her redemption.

"Eme? You awake over there?"

"Nothing," Shego sighed. "Nothing at all."

"Oooookay…didn't ask if anything was wrong."

"Haha," She stuck out her tongue. Why did her princess always have to harsh her buzz in situations like this? This was romantic, damn it! "Really, though, Kimmie; when's the last time we got to enjoy something like that?"

"Maybe it's a good omen," Kim leaned over and clasped Shego's hand. "I mean, after our trip around the world being interrupted by Drakken, the automatons at Disney World coming life all thanks to DNAmy, oh…and that time our car broke down outside Lancaster on the way to DC? Did Duff Killigan think we wouldn't notice the only Amish WOMAN with a beard?" The two shared a laugh. THAT was an image that she could never forget. Why in the name of creation did Killigan get it into his head that Amish country was the place to manufacture a two tone exploding golf ball? "You've got to admit, if anyone is due for even a BIT of normality on a vacation, it's got to be us."

Boy, that was sure the truth! This was going to be a great vacation. She could feel it.

There was a rustle of movement behind them and Abby poked her head in, still a little bleary eyed.

"Good morning, all," She smiled. "At least I hope what I'm looking at is morning. Where are we?"

"About an hour off the coast of Greenland," Kim reported as she spun her chair around. "Any signs of life in the Muffin?"

"Eh, she's in and out. Want me to wake them up?"

They probably should. It was a 5 hour difference between Middleton and Dublin so jet lag was going to hit most of them like a load of bricks. They had another two hours on this heading so they may as well have breakfast. Abby made the circuit and a few moments later, the cabin was full of voices…mostly looking for coffee. For as long as Shego and known Seamus, he'd taken his idea of coffee may as well have been high octane fuel for how strong it was. Gracie…she was still in that virgin coffee drinker phase where it was as much cream and sugar as it was coffee.

"Welcome to adulthood, lass," Seamus lightly chuckled as he raised his mug towards Gracie's. "I swear, if it weren't fer this dram o the Almighty's brew, I'd be right lethal to all in range."

The so-called Irish Poet could crank out a few gems once and a while. While she certainly appreciated a good kick in the pants in the morning and gladly took the offered cup from Abby, she still felt wide awake for the most part. Kimmie was exactly the same way. Maybe it had to do with their shared profession or something else entirely, but both could seamlessly adapt to any time zone, almost like it was an unconscious act of sheer will.

The kitchenette wasn't much but Shego had made due with far worse. The group shared a meal of whole wheat waffles and began listening to Seamus's stories of growing up in Wexford. He glossed over the unpleasantness while around the twins but the rest of it sounded like a pretty fun time. Though he regularly attended St. Steven's Episcopal with Abby and the rest of the Possibles, Seamus had, of course, been educated at the school run by the local Catholic Church. Father Corcoran, the headmaster, had been something of a legend in the community, at least to the men; a tongue as lethal as a cobra and a temper to match. He was quite often the target of pranks from the older youths in his charge. Seamus regaled them of the time that he and a few of his pals had snuck into his office in the middle of the night and managed to lock a pair of sheep in his office and the poor man found them at the exact moment that the male took it upon himself to…do something that earned Seamus a basilisk glare from Abby.

"I swear, that man would a taken the ruler to ye if he so much as KENNED that yer eyes were a wanderin' towards a lass and given ye a dozen Hail Maries for good measuer"

Gracie leaned in and whispered, "Thank you for not sending me to Catholic School."

Heh; likely no chance of that happening; Grandma, despite being one of the kindest women Shego had ever known, once likened a Catholic service with all the sitting and standing to a game of Simon Says with no winner. It wasn't that she or Kim had anything AGAINST the Catholic Church. Heaven knows that the pair of them were on excellent terms with the Church, even receiving a blessing from two of the nine Cardinals in the US and three in Europe but…no; she could never envision her being anything but what she was, a devoted daughter of the Episcopal Church.

Their stomachs now full, the twins retreated to the rear of the plane for a movie, How to Prepare your Wyvern if her ears were correct. Once the dishes had been cleared from the makeshift table, Seamus and Gracie broke out the chess board and quickly became engrossed in thought and strategy. Kimmie and Abby, meanwhile, hefted the boys up into their arms…and proceeded to give them a thorough cleaning. It still baffled Shego. They'd been watching them the whole time! Syrup on the shirt, she could understand, but…how the devil did Nicky manage to get syrup in his hair?

"Hey," Shego nudged her and Kim's friend and protector. "Take a look around you." She waited while Abby did just that. "Could you have ever imagined when Dr. Director ordered you on a protection detail of a pregnant teenager who'd narrowly survived a knife fight, you would've wound up right here?"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _My great grandmother, so I hear, was one of the most tolerant people in the world, even for the time that she grew up in…except when it came to Catholics. The word was always whispered around her like you were swearing and quickly became something of a family joke and I couldn't help putting it in._


	4. Chapter 4

"Aircraft, we have you on screen now. Please identify."

It was hard to believe that by the jet's standards, it was 2 in the afternoon…and right now, they were well past sunset. It FELT like it had been 11 hours in the air too. Em and Zoe had gone through at least three movies and two board games with Gracie who was now in the co-pilot's seat, and Kim was fairly certain the two were ready to be on the ground. Nicky and Brady…usually babies were difficult on planes but those two had hardly raised a decibel level the entire trip.

"Dublin Tower, this is Flight Eight Three Niner requesting approach vector."

"It's all you Gracie," Kim urged, eying her daughter sideways.

Gracie turned and smiled. "Roger, Tower. We'll begin our descent momentarily."

Kim flipped off the autopilot and handed control to the younger Possible. Following Gracie's lead, the two brought the Gulfstream into a dive towards The Fair City. At 6000 feet, the rain started picking up but the forecast said that would finish in an hour, nothing her daughter couldn't handle. At Gracie's command, Kim reduced flaps and Gracie started reducing speed. Dublin loomed underneath them like a beacon as the brought the jet into line with the runway…closer…closer…just a bit more…and the Gulfstream gave a lurch as the tires hit the tarmac.

"Brakes," Gracie barked as both hands shot towards the break lever. Kim felt the familiar sense of her safety harness digging into her torso, the Dublin cityscape coming nearer and nearer, until the momentum came to a halt. "And THAT'S how it's done, ladies and gentlemen!"

"Solid B," Shego called from the cabin. "Never celebrate until you're at the gate, young lady."

"Oh, give me a BREAK, Momma," Gracie moaned as she began steering towards the private hanger that she'd been assigned.

Those two had too much fun together sometimes. The rain ceased as the pair entered the hanger and Kim began the process of shutting down the craft. Between her and Shego, Shego was by far the more seasoned pilot of the two, frequently being called upon to test new Global Justice Aircraft, but Kim thought that was a textbook landing if ever she saw one. One by one, the systems ceased and despite being in a functioning international airport, the engines that they had become so used to died down, giving the cabin an eerily quiet feeling. Kim climbed out of the front seat just as Eme depressurized the cabin and lowered the stairs.

"I TAR ÉIS AIS" Seamus cried out as he hit the tarmac, bringing a series of giggles from the Twins.

"What did he say?" Em laughed.

"Oh, he's just happy to be back home," Abby assured, patting the girl on the back.

Kim exchanged a few words with the baggage handlers and fell in behind Shego as the group headed for customs. That was another benefit of having their own aerial transportation. Customs was of course inevitable but at least the Possible Family could say that they never lost their luggage. The tunnel fed into the main terminal, relatively empty given the hour…at least in Ireland, which meant that their party was near the front of the line. Kim smiled to the security official and handed over her family's passports.

"Uh…Mrs.…Kim Possible," The man had obviously recognized her. "Welcome…uh…welcome to Ireland, Mrs. Possible. Not here for on business, I hope?"

"Not if I can help it," She replied. "Nope; we're here for the week, heading to Enniscorthy for a little peace and quiet."

"Are these your…children?"

"Sure are; Gracie, Zoe, Emily, and Nicky."

He examined the passport photos one by one, holding each one up to get a good look, stamped the pages and handed them back, wishing them a pleasant stay. Those were going straight back into her pocket. Notoriety went far but one of the kids losing their passport was a headache she wasn't looking for. As the group headed towards baggage claim, Kim heard a "Kim BLOODY Possible" from the attendant just before seeing to Seamus and Abby.

"So…who's work of was he a fan of?" Shego laughed as she sidled up to her wife.

"No mention of books; probably the secret agent."

Now, according to Seamus, his sister Katherine was supposed to be waiting for them outside the Harvest Market. Seamus and Abby quickly joined them and almost immediately, Seamus bolted forward, scooping up a nearby auburn haired woman, quite obviously Katherine. By the looks of their greeting, it HAD been some time since Seamus had been home. Kim couldn't help but look at Abby. This was it! She was officially under the microscope and would be until they set foot on the plane back home. The poor kid…what was Kim saying? Abby was nearly five years her senior but…she DID look just like a kid, waiting for instructions from a parent.

"I dinna think this day would ever come," She laughed as her brother put her down. "We haven't seen ye since ye disappeared off the face o' the Earth…and now ye done and got married and had a wee babby."

As if the word had suddenly reminded Seamus of exactly what brought them there in the first place, Seamus whirled around. "Ah, a bit caught up in the moment. Katie, this is me wife Abigail…and me son Brady, your nephew."

Kim looked from Katherine…or Katie, as Seamus had called her…to Abby. It looked an awful lot like Katie was sizing Abby up…and Abby was just standing there, hoping against all hope that she made a good impression.

She adjusted Brady in the crook of her arm, as if trying to emphasize that she really WAS the mother of Seamus' child, and reached out a hand. "Seamus has told me so much about you. It's…so good to finally meet you."

Good grief; there was sizing someone up and then there was just trying to make the uncomfortable. This woman was looking at Abby like some kind of…sub-human. Katherine half looked like she was going to turn around and sniff in derision and Seamus was just standing there and…and Kim had half a mind to rush up and come to her friend's defense and…and…wait a minute! Oh…if Seamus was behind this, he was going to catch some SERIOUS Hell. Now Kim could see the smile forming on Katherine's lips as she stepped forward.

"Oh, put that away, lass," The small smile morphed into a full blown grin. "Me big brother must be slipping as a poet; yer far prettier than he said in his letters." Kim had never seen a seasoned bodyguard and officer of the law go THAT many shades of pink. Katherine let out a laugh and wrapped Abby up into a hug. "Ah, welcome to the family, Abigail. I can already ken that yer a natural O'Sullivan. Oh…and look at this wee snapper." The pair separated and Katherine's eyes focused on the "man of the hour" so to speak. She held out her hands.

"AHEM," Kim turned and glared daggers at her wife.

"OH," Seamus cried out as if suddenly realizing that they in fact weren't alone. "I guess I am a wee bit thick tonight. Katie…uh…this is Kim and Shego Possible and their girls, Gracie, Emily, and Zoe, and their boy, Nicky."

"Ah…well…uh…this…IS…quite a Hooley we've got here," Now, apparently it was Katie's turn to look like she was under the microscope. "Ma had told me we were expecting Seamus's mates but…I dinna DREAM in a million years that it would be…it…it's a great pleasure." She held out a trembling hand.

"The pleasure is all ours," Kim firmly took the hand and shook it. "And I must apologize for my wife interrupting. Despite sixteen years of marriage, I'm still working on getting her housebroken."

"Oh…uh…please. It's no trouble," Katie assured, releasing Kim's handshake. "It's just…God, Ma is going to get a right ear full as soon as I get me hands on her…OH, and the same will be said fer me if I dinna get the guests of honor to on the road right quick."

"Understood," Kim smiled and ushered for Katie to lead the way. "We've got to get ours down for the night so we'll be heading to our hotel and…"

"Oh, I'm afraid not," Katie grinned and started leading them towards baggage claim. "Ma was quite insistent. Kim Possible or no, ye'll be stayin with us!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The sound of animals outside was like a soothing alarm clock. It was SO peaceful out here Gracie just didn't want to get up…but some very appealing smells were coming from downstairs that were just too good to ignore. She heaved a contented sigh and opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. The sunshine was bathing her elaborately furnished room with a golden glow, seeming to settle on the four poster bed she occupied. Sleeping on that goose down mattress had been like…like sleeping on a cloud. Were she a weaker woman, she could've spent the entire week lying there. She heaved off the sheets and the massive comforter and climbed out, stretching out the old limbs. This was her first day in paradise!

It was a little over a two hour drive from the Dublin Airport to Enniscorthy and then another ten to Carmody farm. Seamus had explained on the plane ride over that the house that he'd grown up in was long gone. From what he implied, his father was a jerk and when he skipped out, no one was keen on staying in a place with so many bad memories. It was shortly after Seamus' hitch in the SAS had come to an end that his mother had married Liam Carmody, a successful dairy farmer outside Enniscorthy, and everyone seemed all the happier.

At least they sure seemed so to Gracie. Mrs. Carmody, or rather "Mimi" as she insisted the girls call her, was one of the nicest people Gracie had ever met. The only connection she really had to any of them was Seamus but you sure wouldn't guess it by looking at her. The moment that they walked in, they may as well have been her own grandchildren and she the saintly old Nanna that kept them wired on sugar at every opportunity. Heck, she'd prepared what had to be at least three dozen blackberry tarts and…God, Gracie felt so guilty that she'd had ONLY one; and Mr. Carmody was exactly the same way…without the food guilt, that is. When everyone got back from Church, he insisted that he and the girls were going riding out to Vinegar Hill.

Gracie came down stairs to what smelled far more like a professional bakery than a kitchen. With all the smells in the air she'd half expected to see Momma but Momma probably wanted a little more sleep. Gracie inhaled…and her mouth was instantly watering! Everything smelled so good she didn't know where to start. Abby was seated at the table, sharing a cup of coffee with her new mother-in-law, and spreading butter on a big slice of what Gracie thought…and HOPED…was soda bread. The two instantly spotted her and Mimi jumped up to hold a chair out for her.

"Now, Gracie, I hope ye're hungry," Mimi smiled and began gesturing at the various dishes. "We've got a nice white pudding, fried eggs, some tasty bacon rashers, hashed browns, and me special soda bread. You help yerself to as much as ye like, sweetie."

Oh man…she planned to! She really did! First, she speared a couple of white puddings onto her plate, then scooped out some hash browns, and lastly a fried egg. This was so going straight to her hips but darn it; she was on VACATION! The world WANTED her to load up on carbs! She looked down at her creation like DaVinci had to have looked at the Mona Lisa.

"Look at it, George," She sighed. "It…it's glorious!"

"Hyaaa…do the honors," George squeaked as he hefted up the fork.

"Don't mind if I do, little friend. Don't mind if I do."

She had no idea how much time had passed but before Gracie knew it, she was using a piece of soda bread to wipe up the last bits of her meal. It was…she felt…bloated…and sick…and…and wonderful! She…she would never stand to hear an insult to Irish cuisine for as long as she lived! She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her stomach. George was in little better shape, passed out next to her plate. Oh…she'd planned on going for a run after she ate but…she just didn't want to move.

"My," Gracie could tell that Mimi was taking it all in. "The wee lass has an appetite, I see."

"Not…so…wee…anymore. I'm…going to…go soak these carbs in a bath."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Abby smiled at her charge's ever so slowly retreating back. If Kim and Shego's goal for this trip was to get Gracie's mind off of Billy…a food coma was probably a good start to the whole thing.

"Ben and Jerry's or Irish food," Abby sighed. "I guess it's all the same."

"Pardon?"

Abby's eyes darted up. She…hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Oh…well…I guess there's no harm in you knowing. Gracie's been going through a bit of a tough time lately and we were all kind of hoping this trip would get her mind off of it. Her boyfriend broke up with her."

"The poor dear," Mother Carmody gasped. "She's such a sweet lass."

"Well…you can't really be too mad. His dad was a police officer and accepted a position on the other side of the state. Gracie and Billy tried to make it work long distance but…it just hit her very hard. The two grew up together, done everything together since they were six years old. They…even had a band together playing Celtic music. It's just…I guess one of those hard parts about being a teenager," Abby took a sip of her coffee. "But hey; it's always been Gracie's dream to visit Ireland so…thank you so much for inviting them. I think it's really going to make all the difference. She really is like a daughter to me and Seamus."

"Aye; Seamus has said as much so many times in his letters," She sighed and took a seat next to Abby. "He's told us all about a great many things. I…I dinna recall him being so happy since…well…afore he left all those years go. I should be thanking YOU, Abby. I…we…we never thought we'd see him again. Yer a mother now…and there's nothing harder than a mother havin te say good bye te her son fer good. YOU did that, Lass."

"Yeah; who'd have thought that a reluctant date with a guy you met in what had to be the only Irish pub in Thailand would've led me here."

"Seamus DID say that it were a bit of good fortune, yer meeting; said ye were workin' for the Possibles at the time. Seamus never said, though; what exactly do ye do for them?"

Abby let out a small laugh. She took her back to the beginning, back when Kim had first been attacked. Abby had graduated top of her class at John Jay College of Criminal Justice a year ahead of schedule and had her pick of law enforcement agencies and enlisted in the Secret Service. She'd spent about four years there, reaching Eagle detail in less than a year. After transferring to Global Justice, her director had handpicked her for a protection detail on one Kim Possible, a freelancer of some renown, who had become pregnant and had just narrowly survived a knife fight…and she just never really left. Sometimes Abby thought she'd been something like a lost puppy, and Kim and Shego had taken her in and made her their own.

"Towards the end of the pregnancy, they…kind of sensed that I didn't want to go and so…I just stayed. Both Kim and Shego had their crazy schedules so I became Gracie's nanny and sort of the family's head of security. Then came Kim's college graduation present; Shego had this network of safe houses from her old life so when Gracie was…four, I believe…Shego planned a kind of trip around the world. When we landed in Thailand, I checked in with the local Global Justice branch…and ran into this far too smooth talking rogue and…Kim and Shego encouraged me to take a chance. We've kind of been on one big adventure ever since."

"Who's been on an adventure?"

Both women turned to see Seamus marching down the stairs and shared a laugh. Abby inquired as to the whereabouts of their son and Seamus reported the usual, that he and Nicky were joined at the hip. He poured himself some coffee and took a seat next to Abby, scooting her close and wrapping an arm around her.

"So…what have ye ladies been discussing?"

"Oh; just our first date," Abby smiled and cuddled up under his arm. "What was it you called your style of writing? H.P. Lovecraft meets Joss Whedon meets Tom Clancy?"

Mother Carmody let out cackle. "Oh WAS it now? Because I just happen te remember a gangly lad who used to sit by the fire and dream he be…what as it…Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy? And dreamin of the day he could meet his Elizabeth?"

Abby about snorted her coffee at the same time she felt Seamus go rigid as a post. Mr. cocky Irish Bigshot, Mr. Guinness and a shot of Whiskey actually loved books like Pride and Prejudice? She managed to inhale what she'd been trying to choke down and turned to look at Seamus. Heh…yep; still rigid as a post except now his cheeks were also redder than an apple and his eyes were as big as…no; no, they were BIGGER than saucers! This was fantastic!

"Oh, come on, honey," Abby laughed. "There's nothing wrong with liking a book that's for doe-eyed schoolgirls."

"But…but…but…"

Abby eyed her mother-in-law who had a grin plastered across her face. Okay; Seamus had been teased enough. "Oh come on, honey," She grabbed her husband by the chin and turned his face towards her. "That's kind of sweet. You DID meet your Elizabeth, didn't you? Only…well…we were at a dance club…and there was probably a heck of a lot more Guinness involved." She leaned in and planted a kiss on her dumbstruck husband's lips. "And you only had to ask me once."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Go in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

Kim made the sign of the Trinity and got to her feet. That was a lovely service, better than most she'd had abroad. Even when on vacation, the Possible family never missed Service. It'd become such a big part of their lives that…it just felt weird not to go if they at all could. Father Mitch had contacted St. Iberius Church and Father Andrew had been expected them. Andrew Doherty was a kindly old man, sort of the archetypical image of what you'd expect a small town Irish man of the cloth to look like; silvery white hair, a slight hunch to the back developed from years of working hard…and an air of kindness that made him seem like he was your grandfather and you his favorite grandchild. He even waited at the front of the church to bid his entire parish goodbye.

"You just don't see that much anymore," Shego commented as they waited their turn to say goodbye.

"Thank you for the wonderful service, Father," Kim took the offered handshake. "We really enjoyed it."

"Why thank you, Mrs. Possible. It's a real pleasure your family could be with us."

"Are you kidding?" Shego replied. "We wouldn't miss it. Would we, girls? Oh, forgive me, Father. These are our kids; Gracie, Zoe, Emily, and our littlest, Nicky."

After the goodbyes had been said, everyone piled into the Range Rover Kim had rented and took off back towards Enniscorthy, enjoying the countryside. Ireland was just breathtakingly beautiful in the springtime. The sun was shining and all along the street, there were blue flowers at the peak of their bloom. Conversation quickly turned to the service. The twins had only ever been Episcopal churches in the US. Every one of them had been rebuilt and remodeled to fit the age but…these were History. Zoe even asked if everyone in Ireland got to go to church in a Castle. This was a good way to kick off a vacation.

"So where did Mr. Carmody say he was going to take you guys today?"

"We're gonna go horseback riding," Emily cheered from the back seat.

"Yeah," Gracie confirmed. "He's going to take us up to Vinegar Hill!"

"Why would anyone name a hill after Vinegar?" Zoe inquired. "And the way everyone talks about it…is there some kind of famous salad dressing that's made here?"

Hehe…out of the mouths of babes, as the Bible said. Sometimes her kids were just too cute for words.

"Zoe, do you remember the field trip your class took last year to Gettysburg National Battlefield?" Kim looked in the rearview mirror and saw her pale dark haired doppelganger nod. "Why did Mrs. Carter take you there?"

"Well…that's silly, Mom; the Civil War was fought there."

"Well, young lady, Vinegar Hill is the sight of a very famous battle in Ireland," Kim proceeded to tell Zoe everything she knew about the Rebellion of 1798 and "The Men of '98", with a little help from Gracie. Smart though her children were, Irish history was the complicated at the best of times. Zoe and her sister were still at that stage where…everything was black and white. The good guys won and the bad guys lost. So, how did Kim explain the fact that inspired by her own nation's revolution, the Irish simply wanted their country back…and in the end were slaughtered by the hundreds like the Scottish at Culloden? The oppression of the Irish was not exactly the Church of England's finest moment. Sure, short of the Anabaptists, there wasn't a single religion that didn't have blood on its hands but…whether the Catholic Church at that time oppressed the Protestants or not, you can't drive out darkness with more darkness. You can't drive out hate with more hate.

Thank Goodness Gracie came to her rescue. "Oh man, Zoe; was there EVER a battle there! 20000 country farmers, armed only with spears, turned out to fight for their country against an entire British Army. They said that the light shining on those blades made them look like they were engulfed in fire."

"Wow," Zoe gasped. "What happened to them?"

"Well…they lost the battle," Zoe's look of awe morphed into one of disappointment. "But hey, in AP History, Mr. Vink always says that sometimes it not about winning and losing. What matters is that they remember you afterward. The Men of '98 may have lost THAT revolution…hey; they never stopped fighting. For over a HUNDRED years, the Irish never stopped fighting. Then, one day, a man named Michael Collins saw to it that they would NEVER have to fight again!"

That last seemed to cheer Zoe back up again. Kim glanced at Shego just as she had at Kim. They had done a pretty good job with Gracie.

"That was very nice, Gracie," Shego turned and patted their eldest daughter on the knee.

The rest of trip was spent discussing the coming visit to Enniscorthy Castle the next day. The twins were quite excited about getting to visit an actual castle, at least one that didn't seem to be ruled by a talking mouse. Everyone got a good chuckle out of that. They'd all gone on vacation to Scotland once when the twins were really little…but really little enough that there'd be no chance of them remembering it. The farm house was quickly in sight and Kim quickly spotted a man and a woman standing around a parked car a few feet from the porch.

"That must be Seamus' cousin," Shego mused as the Range Rover wound its way up the driveway. "Mrs. Carmody said that he and his wife were coming in for the gathering she was planning. The Carmodys must be running late."

As they closed the distance, Kim got a good look at the couple. The man was tall, had shining black hair not unlike Shego's, and that chiseled jaw that so many women found attractive…and Kim couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen him somewhere before. It was just on the tip of her tongue…but just out of reach. The woman however…the woman was nothing short of breathtaking! She was about the same height as Kim with a pair of rectangular glasses similar to hers…and with curly brown and blonde hair that just seemed to cascade down her incredibly shapely body like water and…well…if Eme had had a bit too much Madeira, the woman had a balcony that you could do Shakespeare from…and SHE looked familiar too. Of THAT, Kim was absolutely positive, more so than the man. Where did she know them from?

Kim brought the SUV to a halt and the family climbed out. The two strangers turned towards the new arrivals. Both had a fairly cheery disposition, at least from what Kim could read, the kind of people that seemed to light up a room.

"Are you the Kellys?" Kim held out her hand.

"We sure are," The woman replied, in what had to be the very definition of a singsong voice, taking Kim's hand. "I'm Chloe and this is Ryan," Kim had the very distinct impression that Chloe Kelly was feeling exactly the same sense of familiarity that Kim had been feeling and was studying her. "And unless I missed my guess, you…you have to be Kim Possible…which makes you," She turned towards Eme. "You…would be…Shego…Possible…standing right in front of me…and this is not a dream."

"That's what people tell us," Shego smiled as she stepped up and took the offered hand from Ryan. "It's a real pleasure to meet both of you both."

"I…I did NOT expect to meet a pair of secret agents when I woke up this morning," Ryan Kelly had a laugh that was almost as musical as his wife. "But I must say," He looked at everyone. "You've got quite the welcoming committee here."

"Oh, where are my manners," Shego apologized, hefting up Nicky. "These are our kids. This little wiggle worm is Nicky, our youngest. These are the twins, Emily and Zoe, and this is Gracie, our oldest."

Everyone gave a polite greeting…except…Kim turned towards…the slack-jawed dummy that had taken the place of her daughter. What the hell was wrong with her? You'd have thought that Gracie were standing face to face with…well…she'd BEEN face to face with the President of the United States. She'd been face to face with near every national leader in the Western world. At least on paper, there wasn't much that should've rendered Gracie what appeared to be catatonic.

"C…Chl…Chloe…Agnew," Gracie finally broke her silence and started stammering uncontrollably. "R…Ry…Ryan…Kelly..."

Chloe Agnew…? The realization hit Kim like a ton of brick! Of COURSE! THAT was where she recognized them from! If it took her this long, she must've been slipping. Chloe Agnew was one of the leaders of Celtic Woman, about the biggest name in Celtic Music, which of course her daughter was a fan of. As Kim understood it, she'd taken some time off pursue other projects but…when she'd returned to the group three years ago…Kim couldn't help but think that'd been what she had been like when Nicky Nick had rejoined the Oh-Boyz. Even before rejoining Celtic Woman, her poster had hung in Gracie's room.

And Ryan Kelly…how in the name of creation could she have forgotten Ryan Kelly? Leader of Celtic Thunder, the Male equivalent of Celtic Woman, he'd been a major figure in the bringing of Celtic Pop to America for years and…at least according to Gracie…was reckoned one of the most gifted Tenors in 20 years. HIS poster had been tacked over Gracie's bed since…well…since she'd hit puberty. Their wedding announcement was a topic of conversation at the Possible dinner table for weeks after.

"Uh…Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, you're going to have to excuse our daughter. She's…a bit of a fan."

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Seamus DID indeed have a surprise for Gracie. Now the only question is what she's going to do to Seamus for keeping this little tidbit from her._


	5. Chapter 5

HOW? How could she be so stupid? There she was, standing face to face with her hero, Chloe FLIPPING Agnew, AND SHE CHOKES! She kept replaying it over and over again in her head like a car crash. There she was, blissfully ignorant, as the car headed back to the Carmody Farm, looking forward to an afternoon of riding and a visit to a battlefield….and then her life came to a screeching and unbelievable halt. There, in all their finery…okay, they were both in jeans and t-shirts but even they could make it look breathtaking…was Ryan Kelly and Chloe Agnew-Kelly! And the most she could get out was their names? God, how could she face Mary now? Chloe Agnew had been…still WAS their inspiration, the greatest Celtic musician…ever.

Gracie heaved a sigh and just stared at the ceiling above the bed. Mr. Carmody and the twins had to be at Vinegar Hilly by now. Well, at last her sisters could have a fun vacation.

… _KNOCK…KNOCK…_

"Come in," She moaned.

She heard the door closed and hauled herself up…and came face to face with…the only thing that could make this moment worse just HAD to come waltzing in the door?

"Can I sit down?" Miss Agnew asked, motioning to the bed. All Gracie could manage was a nod. God, the first time wasn't enough? She was blowing it! "I just wanted to say that…yer not blowing it."

"What the…how did you…?" Gracie blurted out.

"Are you serious?" She smiled that dazzling smile that Gracie had always thought made any guy just fall at her feet. "I was 16 once too. When I was your age, I'd be playing Carnegie Hall on day and scrubbing the lunch tables at school the next. No matter how bad ye think it was, there's no WAY it could've been as bad as me the day I got te meet Green Day. THAT was embarrassing! My friends wanted to surprise me for my birthday and…Billy Joe Armstrong saw me trip and fall right into me own birthday cake."

"I…I'm never going to forgive Seamus for this!"

"Well…don't be too hard on him," She leaned in and patted Gracie on the knee. "I kind of asked him te keep it a secret. I really wanted to meet you."

What…HER? Chloe Agnew-Kelly wanted to meet HER? "Y…you wanted to meet me?"

"Are you kidding?" She…she actually looked serious! "Seamus has told Ryan and me so much about ye, not just what a wonderful singer ye are." Darn it; her cheeks had to pick THAT moment to turn purple? Stupid meta-human genetics! "Actually, he's told us so much that I feel almost like I know ye already. I mean, when I was your age, all I did was sing. You fly jets, fight supervillains, play basketball, and I also here you're quite the student. I don't know how ye find the time."

"So…so not the drama; I guess…my parents did it all…and I…kind of want to be just…like them."

"Oh, I know what ye mean. So, Seamus DID tell us yer in a band?"

"Oh…uh…well…it's nothing major but…we call ourselves The Gang from Galway. It's just me and my friends messing around in my garage. We played a few songs at my Aunt's wedding…and we set up in the park during the summer, kind of play to tips. I…I'd LIKE to study music at the Julliard School after I graduate high school; it's just…ever since we sang The Little Beggar Man when I was in the Middle School choir, I've…it just seemed like what I was meant to do. There's just something about Celtic music that is…I can't explain it…kind of spiritual about it, almost Heavenly. I meditate to The Voice and Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore. They're just…peaceful…in a way that nothing else is to me."

She…she was talking music with…with Chloe Agnew! And even more amazing…she was totally cool. The way she carried on with Gracie…you'd have thought she was sitting down with her older sister or a favorite aunt. Chloe talked about the time in between her stints with Celtic Woman and her experimenting with other mediums. Gracie was well aware of Chloe's skill as a guitar player and was equally a fan of Chloe's time as the lead guitarist for a number of bands before, as she put it, returning to the greatest thing that ever happened to her. The unbelievable thing was that she seemed just as interested in the stories Gracie had to tell. Getting sucked into a video game, piloting a fighter jet over Montreal; surviving a plane crash off the coast of New Zealand and her little stint in the Canadian wilderness, oddly enough, were what she seemed the most interested in.

"The whole thing was during my Top Gun phase. My boyfriend's dad…" Gracie's voice trailed off as she realized what she'd just said. That kind of put a damper on things but…well…it WAS part of the reason she was here, at least if you asked Mom or Momma…and she had to get used to saying it sooner or later. "Well…I was working on my qualifications to fly jets and…let's just say that when someone warns you about a storm, just pack it up and go home."

The two shared a laugh.

"So, what do ye say? Feel like coming downstairs with the rest of the party? Seamus and his step-dad decided to make the trip to Vinegar Hill a bit of a camping trip and dragged Seamus along so it be a bit of a ladies' night and we wanted to make plans, maybe drive up to Dublin for some fun. An old school chum of mine manages a club on Lower Bridge Street. We used to sneak out on school nights and drive up. Now, it's a wee bit easier."

Heh…she was going to hit the town with Chloe Agnew? Gracie had gone from major league embarrassment in front of one of her heroes…to what was rapidly shaping up to be the most epic vacation EVER.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim clapped as the musician took a bow and retreated back into the audience. Of course, no one was cheering as loudly as her daughter. Whatever Chloe Agnew had said to Gracie back at the house, Kim couldn't begin to thank her enough. No one exactly kept it a secret from Gracie that they wanted to use this trip to help her move on and they all had their own plans to achieve just that…and Seamus in particular hadn't been able to hide the fact that he had the mother of all surprises for her…and quite frankly, Kim honestly couldn't think of a way that either she or Shego could've topped coming face to face with their daughter's musical idol and finding out you were going to spend a week together. This was perfect!

"They were pretty good," Kim breathed as she took another swallow Bushmill's Irish Buck. "I like music that spans multiple genres. It kind of sounded like Blue Grass meets Techno."

At Chloe's recommendation, the group had settled for a night out at The Brazen Head, supposedly the oldest pub in Ireland and one that was famous for displaying both well-known and local artists, featuring both traditional Irish music and more contemporary. The current manager was an old school friend of Chloe's and she liked to put in an appearance whenever she was in town. Gracie was prepared to go ANYWHERE if Chloe recommended it but this was a REALLY nice place…and crowded too. Apparently Sunday evenings were their open mic nights and were quite popular.

"You know, Chloe," Abby said after taking a gulp of her Guinness. "I'm surprised you'd choose a place like this. I mean, the way the munchkin here talks about you and your husband, I'd expect you to be about the most recognizable people in the entire country, most of all in a place that plays this kind of music."

"ABBY," Gracie squawked, shooting her former nanny death glare.

"Well, I was used to that when I was wee little," Chloe explained. Chloe's mother, Adele King, was apparently a big name in Irish entertainment, being part of a successful musical trio in the '70s and still a well-known TV personality and Chloe had grown up in the spotlight and always her Mom's number one fan, even after establishing herself as an entertainer in her own right. Before joining Celtic Woman at the age of 14, being Adele King's daughter was a full-time job in and of itself. But no matter how well-known their family was, Chloe's mother went to extreme lengths to ensure that Chloe and her sister Naomi has as normal a childhood as possible. "I've always said that if I was to ever write me memoirs, I'd call it 'From Carnegie Hall to the Lunch Table' or something like that. I was probably the only member in the group who had chores both off AND on the tour…and hardly set foot outside the classroom when I wasn't touring. I guess that's why I hit it off so well with me new mate here," She wrapped her arm around Gracie and turned to Kim and Shego. "If I may say so, it sounds like you've done a right fine job with her and I wouldn't be surprised to see her on the stage one day."

Well…Gracie WAS a Possible…and Kim was probably more than a little biased when she said that her daughter had the voice of an angel, but she and Eme had raised their children exactly like Mom and Daddy had raised her. All you had to do was know what you wanted and be prepared to work hard enough and one way or another, you were going to get it. If Gracie really did want to go into music, she'd find a way…and her family would be there every step of the way to support her in any way that she could.

The music once again came to an end and someone called attention up to the stage. "Now we've got a bit of a treat for ye all tonight. An ol' friend o mine is in the audience today, one I'd say we all know and I just bet we might be able to get her to sing for us."

Kim…actually saw a shade of color form in Chloe's cheeks as she turned towards the stage. "Come on, Sandra. These people don't want te hear it."

"Oh, I think they do," That had to be Chloe's manager friend. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce by good friend and Dublin's favorite daughter…CHLOE AGNEW!"

A few faces looked around in surprise and a rumble of cheers began sounding as they recognized that Chloe was in fact in their midst. Chloe looked at her party for advice and Gracie as good as shoved her off her bar stool and up towards the stage to the sound of thunderous applause. Chloe climbed onto the stage and took the microphone from her friend and turned to the audience, giving them that million dollar smile that Kim had seen on all the posters in Gracie's room.

"Thank you so much," She cried over the uproar, urging them to quiet down. "Well…I am indeed Chloe Agnew-Kelly and it's a pleasure to be here at The Brazen Head. A few friends and I were out for a little Girls' night and we knew that Dublin be the only place for that!" Another cheer rose up from the crowd. Chloe turned towards the house band, probably trying to decide on a song to sing. There was a series of nods and it looked like they had decided on something. "Now, before we get started, I'd like te ask for a little help from someone in the audience."

Kim's breath caught in her throat and her eyes sought out Shego's. Was Chloe Agnew really going to…? She was looking right at them, at Gracie in particular right now. Gracie had sang in public many times before but…singing in Ireland…alongside her hero…unless Kim was VERY much mistaken, this Saint of a woman was about to make her oldest daughter's dream come true. She looked towards her daughter…and the kid had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.

"Ye see, one of my favorite things about my life is that I get te travel the world, meeting all kinds of people. Every once and a while, though, I come across someone that gives me pause; the person I'd like te call te the stage has already accomplished so much at only 16 years of age and I dinna see her slowing down any time soon," Okay…Gracie looked like she was beginning to suspect. "I'd like to call up to the stage my new friend… Gracie Possible!"

Gracie's drink clattered to the table, nearly spilling across the counter. Ever so slowly, her head began to turn back towards Kim. The poor girl looked like she'd just been clubbed over the head with a 2x4 and who could blame her? She almost seemed to be looking to everyone else to determine what to do next. Gracie got up and on trembling feet began making her way up to the stage.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Oh God…Oh God…Oh God…

She…she was being called up to…to sing…in front of a full house…in one of the oldest and most well-known clubs in Ireland. Oh God…she felt like she was going to throw up. The stretch to the stage felt like she was running a marathon and her knees were rattling with every step. After what felt like an eternity, she was standing at the base of the stage, reaching up for Chloe's offered hand.

"I…I can't sing…I mean…I haven't prepared…"

"Gracie, listen te me. Seamus didn't only tell me about ye. He sent me a few of yer songs, our songs, and every one of them ye sang beautifully. Ye can handle this easy. Now…ye feel up for Nil se'n La? Seamus said it's one of yer favorites."

She wasn't aware if she'd nodded or not. Her entire body seemed to be on autopilot. How in the world was she going to pull this off…without Mary…without Jimmy…without…? Well…on a wing and a prayer but…Mary would never forgive her if she DIDN'T do this…and she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself. Okay…this was just like…any other time they'd set up in the park…or…or playing at Aunt Monique's wedding reception. Nil se'n La was one of their newer attempts…and she and Mary had only ever practiced it by themselves with her violin but…

Chloe gestured to the mic. "Go on; say hello."

"Uh…hello; I…uh…I'm…Gracie Possible and…uh…if it's okay…I'd like to give a shout out to my band back home. We…we call ourselves…The Gang from Galway. I wish they could be here with me but…uh…Mary Stewart and Jimmy Fiddler…this is for you. Here's…here's Nil se'n La."

The drummer struck up a beat on the bongo, typical for the song, and Chloe started humming along as the violinist came in. The words were starting to form. When she'd first started getting interested in Irish music, Grandma and Grandpa had gotten her a copy of Rosetta Stone for Irish and Gaelic and she'd been studying as hard as she could…for moments like this.

 _Nil Se'n La_

 _Chuaigh mé isteach i dteach aréir_

 _is d'iarr mé cairde ar mhnaoi an leanna._

 _Is é dúirt sí liom "Ní bhfaighidh tú deor._

 _Buail an bóthar is gabh abhaile_

Chloe stepped up to the mic to join her. She nudged Gracie and the two started swaying in time to the music, just like on the Blu-ray of her concert.

 _I came by a house last night_

 _And told the woman I am staying_

 _I said to her:_

 _"The moon is bright and my fiddles tuned for playing"_

The violinist started on a solo. This…this was…the greatest night of her life!

 _Tell me that the night is long_

 _Tell me that the moon is glowing_

 _Fill my glass, I'll sing a song_

 _And will start the music flowing_

 _Never mind the rising light_

 _There's no sign of day or dawning_

 _In my heart it's still the night_

 _And we'll stay here till the morning_

There was a crescendo as the pair started in on the chorus!

 _Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill,_

 _solas ard atá sa ghealaigh._

Chloe blended seamlessly back into English and Gracie was just trying to keep up.

 _It's not day nor yet awhile_

 _I can see the starlight shining_

 _Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill,_

 _solas ard atá sa ghealaigh._

 _Fill the glasses one more time_

 _And never heed the empty bottle_

 _Turn the water into wine_

 _And turn the party up full throttle_

There was a cheer from the crowd at that last bit and the violinist started in on another solo. This…was…happening! Gracie wasn't dreaming!

 _Don't go out into the cold_

 _Where the wind and rain are blowing_

 _For the fire is flaming gold_

 _And in here the music's flowing_

 _Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill,_

 _solas ard atá sa ghealaigh._

 _Tell me that the night is long_

 _Tell me that the moon is gleaming_

 _Fill my glass, I'll sing a song_

 _And we'll keep the music streaming_

 _Until all the songs are sung_

 _Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill,_

 _solas ard atá sa ghealaigh._

 _Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin,_

 _níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill,_

 _solas ard atá sa ghealaigh._

There were three, maybe four minutes of silence…and then a roar like a bomb going off! They were cheering! They were actually cheering! The entire room was on their feet and they were actually cheering! Gracie turned to look at Chloe…and she wanted HER to take a bow? Gracie was…feeling overwhelmed. She didn't even feel herself moving but before she knew it, she was looking down at her feet and the cheering was even louder. Over the cheers, though, there were those three voices that stood out. She looked back towards their table and…Mom and Momma were going absolutely bonkers. Abby raised her fingers to her lips and let out a loud whistle. Gracie turned to towards Chloe…and all sense of subtlety disappeared. She rushed up and wrapped the older woman in a tight hug.

"Thank you," Gracie gasped. "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Seamus let out a sigh as he leaned back against his bedroll, the failing light bathing everything in a golden glow. It really did feel so good to be home! Even when he'd first taken up with Global Justice and was training commandos in the mountains of his native Ireland, it hadn't TRULY felt like home. His time with the IRA…and that HORRIBLE night in Ulster…had made his superiors keep an extra close eye on them, sort of a probation (at least as they saw it), and hadn't ever been able to make it back home. After Ulster…he couldn't say that he blamed them. That had been the end of it for him. The moment the reports came in, he'd washed his hands of the entire organization.

And now…now he was on a camping trip just off of Vinegar Hill. He had a wife…and a baby boy. He had a circle of friends that…that weren't friends. They were bloody FAMILY! He was…happy. He heard Ryan regaling the girls the legend of Tir Na Nog, the Land of Youth, a favorite campfire store of theirs when they were the twins' age. The twins were staring in rapt attention, likely envisioning a world filled with faeries and pixies and the like, probably conspiring on how best to catch one if they were anything like he and Ryan.

"Ye've done good, boyo," Liam Carmody knelt down beside his stepson, patting him on the stomach.

Try as he might, Seamus could never quite bring himself to call the man "Da". It was in no way out of any loyalty to that bollocksed up plonker with whom he shared half his DNA. The moment that Ma had met Liam…he'd been everything the dear woman deserved and Seamus knew darn well that she…and he and Katie for that matter…were the most important things in the world to him. Still…even to a 20 year old Army sergeant, Liam Carmody was the closest thing to a father that Seamus had ever known…and WAS Brady's Grandda.

"Sometimes it still dinna feel real and I half expect te wake up in that hovel of an apartment back in Thailand," Seamus smiled as he pushed himself up. "But…every morning, I wake up next te the woman I love…usually to the babby's hollering too and…I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Aye, lad; yer Mum and I couldn't be prouder of the life ye've made for yerself," Liam thumped him on the back. "Abigail's a right bonnie lass…and yer going to make one heck of a Da yerself."

Well…Seamus had had one hell of a role model. It was the hardest thing he ever did, going into the Army, especially when he knew what…that man…would do to Ma and Katie when he did. It was even harder going back; but he'd only just been accepted into the SAS when Ma had written about this lovely gentleman that she'd been seeing. He'd taken her and Katie horseback riding and…it felt real, like nothing she'd felt before; and after meeting him, Seamus could understand. Ma hadn't had much in the way to be happy about over the years but…being with Liam DID make her happy and over the years, it was clear that Liam felt the same way about Ma.

"Oh, you and Ma had best be calling her 'Abby' and right quick," Seamus laughed. "She's got four older brothers and was a wee bit of a tomboy, so they say."

Liam let out a laugh at that and hauled the younger man up to his feet. It was approaching dinner time and they'd best get the meal cooking. Abby had always liked camping so…he'd HAD to get used to eating hotdogs. Bratwursts were better but…God, he'd been salivating at the prospect of some good old fashioned Bangers. Abs had searched high and low for anywhere to buy them but…North Western Pennsylvania didn't exactly have an abundance of Irish culinary suppliers. They'd have to load up before they left. Everyone had begun digging in when Seamus's cellphone rang. It was Abby with a FaceTime call. Ma and vehemently voiced her willingness to keep an eye on Brady and Nicky so Chloe had suggested a Girls' Night in Dublin. What was going on?

"Hey, Abs; how's The Brazen Head?" There was a roar of applause in the background and…Abby looked VERY excited about something.

"Honey…are the twins nearby?"

"Uh…yeah; we're in the middle of a meal."

"Okay; listen carefully. I had Wade Load put a holograph function in your phone. Activate it and set it on the ground. You all HAVE to see this."

Oooookay; SOMETHING big was going on here. The holographic projector was easy enough to find. Seamus overturned an empty cook pan and set the phone on top. A picture of Abby materialized next to the fire. People were indeed going crazy for something. The Brazen Head WAS known for its music and Chloe would be recognizable there.

"Alright, everyone; we're here at The Brazen Head where someone very special is about to make her debut."

The image spun around and settled on…oh, this was even better than Seamus had ever hoped for! Gracie was standing up on stage with Chloe, in front of a packed house of roaring fans. Seamus Brendan O'Sullivan had never boasted much singing talent, at least when he was sober, but he'd known enough to know that his favorite cousin was going to make it big if he ever decided to pursue it…and after that, he'd never had that feeling again…until he first heard Gracie sing. When he and Abby had first started getting serious…those girls were like one big bonus. He cared about them like they were his own daughters. So he may not have been the most unbiased observer…but when the aspiring singer had not only expressed an interest in the music of Seamus's ancestors but proved very adept at it…the coincidence was too good to be true, even more so when Ryan and Chloe had begun dating, the one woman Gracie held akin to the Mother Mary herself.

The pair started into a rendition of Nil se'n La, one of Gracie's favorites if he was remembering correctly, and they were stunning! The longer the song went on, the more it was clear how into it Gracie was. The crowd erupted into cheers as the song came to an end…and no one could've been cheering louder than Gracie's two biggest fans seated around the fire.

"You…weren't kidding, Bucko," Ryan breathed as the crowd settled down for the band to organize their next song. "That lass…she could do it if she has a mind to!"

"Now," Gracie continued from the stage. "This is a persona favorite of mine. I'd like you all to come on a little adventure with me to the Otherworld. This is Tir na Nog."

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Okay…this was a bit of a shameless plug but I think Celtic Woman has to be about the greatest Celtic group on the circuit and I truly hope that Chloe Agnew returns to the group. She has the voice of an angel. Everything that is said here, though, is unauthorized and used for the overall story._


	6. Chapter 6

_Westering home and a song in the air_

 _Light in the eye and its goodbye to care_

 _Laughter of love and a welcoming there_

 _Isle of my heart my own land_

Gracie heaved a contented sigh as her eyes opened onto a breathtakingly beautiful Irish spring day. Actually it was overcast and it looked like it was going to rain but…after what had to be the single greatest night of her life, Enniscorthy could've been besieged by a tornado and acid rain and it would've felt like paradise on Earth. For the first time in a long time, Gracie just felt like she was lighter than air and had a song in her heart. Gracie heaved another sigh and climbed out from under the covers towards the window to look outside and take stock of the previous night.

She was a star! Last night wasn't playing in the park. It wasn't playing at Aunt Monique's wedding. She…she DID love those things but…two songs with Chloe Agnew…which was Drama in and of itself but…three songs on her own…THREE…and they were cheering! They cheered just as loudly after Chloe stepped off the stage as when she was on. It was…everything she always dreamed it would be. Okay…it wasn't like it was Radio City Music Hall but…man, it sure FELT like it was. There were even cameras! Chloe swore up and down that it was just coincidence but the Dublin correspondent of the Irish Independent Newspaper had pulled her aside the moment she set foot off the stage and before she knew it…she was giving an honest to God INTERVIEW! It was going to be in Tuesday's paper…and the entire country was going to be reading about her!

There was a knock at the door and Gracie couldn't even tell if she said "come in".

 _And it's westering home with a song in the air_

 _Light of me eye and it's goodbye to care_

 _Laughter and love are a welcoming there_

 _Pride of my heart my own love_

"Excuse me, Miss Possible, but there's a fan outside requesting a word with you," Momma called as she entered the door. "Would you be willing to meet with her?"

And through it all, the loudest voices were always her parents and her friend and bodyguard. The entire night…Gracie wouldn't have been surprised if they had cheered themselves horse last night and been unable to speak a word today. Momma came straight in and wrapped her arms around her daughter and squeezed her tight. Gracie could feel the plasma begin coursing through Momma's body, making it feel like she was being squeezed by a giant stuffed animal. She could feel Momma's kisses on her cheek like when she was little, "the kissy face monster" Momma had called it.

"Have I told you lately how proud I am of you, young lady?"

"Well…it kind of felt like I was hearing it in my sleep," Gracie smiled and tried to wriggle out of Momma's embrace before the old lady started trying to tickle her.

"Oh, you know better than to try to get away from me," Momma sniggered with glee. "You may be the next big Irish singing sensation but you're not so big that I still can't get a few tickles in."

How did they always seem to pull it off? Momma's hands went to work and it seemed like a good five minutes before Gracie could finally fend off her attacks and squirm her way out…or Momma just got tired and let her go; but…she supposed it wasn't the WORST thing in the world, allowing her parents these little indulgences reminiscent of a bygone era. Ooh…that wasn't bad right there. She'd have to remember that one. Momma gasped a laugh of her own and got up.

"I mean it, Muffin. I know I say it a lot…and I mean it more every time I say it…but your Mom and I are so proud of you!"

This…this was it! They could all go home right now and this would be the most spankin' vacation in the history of the world; but as the smells from downstairs wafted up through the open door, Gracie thought that she could at least use another of Mrs. Carmody's breakfasts. She could still feel the LAST one coating her insides…but those aromas were too good to pass up. Momma must've been able to see the look in her face because she took Gracie by the hand and hauled her through the door.

Hitting the bottom step of the staircase was like being bombarded by a fog bank of deliciousness. Everyone looked to be in high spirits. Mrs. Carmody was, of course, running the kitchen much the way Momma did, like a conductor directing an orchestra. Abby was trying…and failing…to get Brady to at least eat more than he wound up wearing. Mom was faring a little better. At least it looked like two out of three bites ended up in Nicky's mouth. The fun part was that every other bite that missed actually looked like it wound up on Mom instead of Nicky. Well, better Mom than her. The only ones missing were Mr. Carmody, Seamus, Ryan, and the twins. The entire group had made plans for a trip to Enniscorthy Castle after lunch so they should be showing up in a few hours. Abby had said that she'd broadcast the entire night to the twins via FaceChat so she couldn't wait to ask them what they thought of the show.

Breakfast was just as good as before; Eggs Benedict. Okay, so it wasn't authentic Irish cooking but Mrs. Carmody still made it excellent. She was just as anxious to find out about Gracie's big night as anybody. She…she really WAS like Grandma Possible…and she didn't even have any connection to her. No one had hid the fact that Seamus's biological father was a piece of work and no one would say exactly what it was he did…which to any kid was more than enough to say how bad it was…but Gracie made a solemn promise that if she ever came across that bastard, she would make him rue the day that he was ever born!

The mood was broken by Mom's Kimmunicator went off. It was Seamus.

"Hey," Mom answered, activing the holo projector. "You guys are missing one heck of a celebratory breakfast. When are you heading back?"

"Well…I'm afraid I've got some bad news," Seamus looked worried and kept looking off towards the side. "It looks like Em and Zoe may have taken sick. I dinna be a doctor but it looks like the wee lasses have a bad dose of the flu. We can get the horses back to the farm but I think it might be best if one of ye come and pick the girls up."

"Oh no," Shego jumped up. "How long have they been sick?"

"I dinna know. They just woke up complainin' o pains and they do feel a wee bit warm."

"Well, I'll change clothes and head straight there. Give me ten minutes."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The Range Rover sped along the road towards the city proper. Well…in the grand scheme of things, a little bout with the flu was far from the worst their family had encountered on vacation but…why did it have to be the twins? Why did it always seem to be the kids that had to suffer? The girls had been looking forward to that for days leading up the trip. Why couldn't Shego have been the one to get the flu? Or Abby? Nobody in their right mind would wish the flu on Kimmie. That just wound up making everyone around her suffer more than Kimmie did; but just once Shego wanted her kids to have a vacation where nothing went wrong.

Shego turned off the main road and headed up towards the open countryside next to the Vinegar Hill Memorial. She could just make out their campsite in the distance. Mr. Carmody and Ryan Kelly were busy loading up the packhorses. No surprise that Seamus wasn't leaving the girls' side in a situation like this. Ryan greeted her as the car came to a stop and she headed straight for the tent. Inside, Seamus was keeping a constant vigil.

"Hey, sweeties," Shego knelt down between the girls. Both were wrapped up tight in their sleeping bags like a pair of caterpillars in cocoons. "I hear you're not feeling too good."

"Momma…it…hurts," Zoe moaned. "Everything…hurts."

Shego began doing a cursory examination. The first thing out of the ordinary was the fact that they were still in their sleeping bags if they both had a fever. According to Seamus, while they did in fact have a fever, shortly before she arrived both developed chills. Seamus wrapped them up but stood watch in case they started heating up. They weren't congested and neither one was complaining about nausea. Both were pretty pale, more so than usual in Zoe's case. It did seem like some kind of flu but she wouldn't know more until she got them back to the house.

"Okay, girls; can you both stand up for me? We've got to get you back to the house."

Emily and Zoe slowly tried to climb to their feet and managed to stand up on wobbly legs. The poor girls looked like newborn calves. Shego and Seamus followed closely behind them and helped them into the backseat. They really did look to be shivering like a Mauri in an igloo so Shego rushed back to the tent and grabbed a sleeping bag to drape over them.

A fever, chills, aches and pains; it had to be some kind of flu. If they were a little older, Shego would've thought that…NO; that was the LAST thing they needed right now. Ever since Gracie was twelve and her meta-human DNA began to manifest itself, Shego and her wife had been on constant watch for the slightest sign of the twins developing anything but…the twins were only ten. Gracie's body had seemed to be wracked with pain but that had been so severe that she hadn't been able to speak for hours. Despite Shego being meta-human herself, Gracie's experiences were all that Kim or Shego had to go by. They weren't ABOUT to clue anyone into this. Betty would've died before letting anything happen to Gracie but…neither wanted to take the chance that anyone would spread the word.

"Dinna you worry, lassies. If I know me Mum, she's going te have her famous garlic chicken soup ready. Not te mention a few slices of her ginger toast. I swear, Katie and me used te pray for illness just for a chance o that toast."

Shego let out a small laugh. She recalled Mrs. Carmody saying something about soup as she was going out the door. Putting the SUV into drive, Shego swung around and began heading back towards town, being careful not to make any sudden or jerky movements. Seamus began filling her in on the night's events. Everyone had pup tents but he'd elected to set up his bedroll outside under the stars. He'd woken up around shortly before sunrise, when the sky was soft and purple, and heard the twins' groans of pain. He'd broken out the first aid kit to check them and after that, he'd called Kim.

"Bad luck it happened now," Seamus turned back to check on the twins. By the sounds of it, they were both sound asleep.

"Seamus…do you think we're cursed?"

"Um…come again?"

"I'm serious. I can count on one hand the number of family vacations where something bad didn't happen. I mean, the twins having the flu is a far cry from a giant floating fortress in the skies over Montreal…or even something as simple as a stolen horse at their great uncle's ranch but…it just isn't right."

"Shego…ye really do care till it hurts. Did anyone ever tell ye that? The best laid plans o mice and men oft go awry. Vacations dinna only go arseways for secret agents. The funny thing is…I'd wager that you asked the girls, they've loved every vacation ye've taken them on. Besides, 10 year old be like tanks. Ye could put a brick wall in front o them and it'd barely slowly them down, yer girls especially. Mark me words. By tomorrow, they'll be turning hand springs and giving their mums a few more grey hairs."

Yeah…Seamus was right. She'd seen enough National Lampoon movies to know that no family vacation EVER went as planned…and least of all, any POSSIBLE vacations. This was just…their life. In a way, she DID have fun on their vacations. Not many people could say that they actually got to go surfing through the Venetian canals or drove a motocross bike over Mauna Kea volcano; and…it wasn't like the twins or Nicky were ever put in any danger and Gracie…danger always did seem to FIND her…and she COULD handle herself, for all of Shego and Kim's worrying.

It was still unfair that the Twins had to get sick on the day they were going to visit Enniscorthy Castle!

Kim and Gracie were waiting at the door to help the girls inside. There wasn't any improvement but…they weren't getting worse either. At least that was something. Mrs. Carmody ushered them right up the stairs, promising that she had a pot of her famous soup, guaranteed to put a stop to even the most stubborn flu, cooking on the stove. The girls were exhausted and Mrs. Carmody herself was going to be up with two big bowls as soon as they woke up from a long nap. The two looked to be so out of it that Shego couldn't even tell if they'd understood or not. The poor things were straight out of a zombie movie!

Shego and Kim helped them into their pajamas and lifted them into the queen-sized bed they were sharing. Take away the Emily's purple pajamas and Zoe's blue and the whole thing looked like a scene from a Victorian storybook. Shego planted kisses on the girls' foreheads and stepped away to give Kim a chance. Content that the girls would at least be marginally comfortable, the pair backed out through the door and closed it.

"Well…I think I remember a flu bug going around their school shortly before we left," Kim pondered as the two marched down the stairs. "Bad luck we had to bring it with us. Still," She elbowed Shego in a rib. "Those two have enough of their Momma in them to heal fast."

"Yeah…I just wish that these things would STOP happening on our vacations. Much more of this and I'm going to start feeling like Clarke Griswold!"

That got a laugh. Daddy had always gone on about the golden age of Saturday Night Live, especially Chevy Chase's scenes so Kimmie was all too aware, having watched those movies since she was about the Twins' age.

Gracie quickly met them midway up the stairs. "Are they okay? Is it…?"

"Oh God, Gracie; don't even THINK about that," Kim gasped, rubbing her head. "That's the LAST thing we need right now. It DOES look like just a case of the flu. We'll let them sleep for a few hours and I'll go back and check on them. All the same, probably best if we all stuck close to the farm today."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Well, George; looks like we're going to be amusing ourselves around the house today. So what do you think? Feel like a session?"

"Hyaaa…kick it!"

Gracie smiled and hefted up her trusty Bodhran and began a steady beat, quickly moving into Heiland Laddie. It was a decent song; not her favorite but it was good to wake the fingers up and get into the rhythm. They'd picked up it up when the boys were in something of a sea shanty obsession. The moment the first beats began coming, George's back snapped straight and his feet began moving in a small step dance. George was always complaining about having nothing to do during band practice so Gracie had begun downloading step dancing and Riverdance to her communicator so George could practice.

 _Was you ever in Quebec?_

 _Bonny laddie, Highland laddie,_

 _Loading timber on the deck,_

 _My bonny Highland laddie._

Wow; she hadn't realized it at first but…this had been the song that Billy had been so insistent that they learn. Neither Mary nor Jimmy had wanted to push it after Billy moved away, even more so after Billy had…broken up with her. She might as well get used to saying it; but…she hadn't been planning to play anything in particular and…her fingers just went their own way. Maybe…it was a sign that…maybe she was starting to be okay with it.

 _Was you ever in Baltimore_

 _Dancing on the sanded floor?_

 _High-ho, and away she goes,_

 _Bonny laddie, Highland laddie,_

 _High-ho, and away she goes,_

 _My bonny Highland laddie._

She could hear Mary's fiddle in her mind. From there, she moved into The Molly Maguires. Gracie's fingers just really seemed to be in a traditional mood today. She completed The Molly Maguires and by the time she was in the Rocky Road to Dublin, her fingers were quite limber and she began singing the lyrics.

Life was pretty good, even IF it looked like rain was starting to come. She'd just started The Highwayman as Mr. Carmody and Mr. Kelly rode their horses up and towards the barn. Mr. Kelly must've heard her playing…and MAN, Chloe Agnew was a lucky woman! Those eyes…and that chiseled jaw…on any other day before she set foot in this country, she'd spend hours just gazing at that glorious and near perfect face. Mr. Carmody smiled and nodded as he entered the house but…over the beats of her drum, she could hear Mr. Kelly's boots tapping on the wooden planks of the porch.

"And she plays the Bodhran too?" He marveled as Gracie began relaxing her hand after she finished. "Right well, by my estimation. Young lady, I dinna recall meeting anyone but me wife who had that much talent at such a young age; you've got quite a gift for music there."

"Uh…thank…thank you…Mr. Kelly," Man…she was turning purple again! "Ever…since I was twelve, all I ever wanted to do was…what you and your wife do; that and…save the world."

"I…dinna think I ever heard someone put those two professions together; but…the way Seamus talked, I shouldn't be surprised. Did…did ye really crash in the Canadian wilderness?"

"So not the drama," Okay…now her cheeks had to be bordering on black. She could FEEL the heat radiating off of them. "I was taking flying lessons from Momma and…the F-14 Tomcat we were in got struck by lightning and crashed somewhere in the Hudson Bay. My ejector seat landed on the beach and I found Momma the next day and we kind of camped out until the search party, led by Mom, found us. Hey…the twins seem really rough. Were there any signs, anything weird?"

His report was much the same as Seamus. They'd all had a fun night cooking bangers over a fire and listening to campfire stories and old legends. By sheer coincidence, Mr. Kelly had just finished telling the girls the legend of Tir na Nog shortly before Abby had FaceTime'd Seamus for Gracie's debut. Everyone had been in high spirits as they went to bed. Mr. Carmody and Mr. Kelly had taken one tent and the twins the other with Seamus electing to sleep out underneath the stars. There had been absolutely nothing to suggest that they were getting sick.

"Ye really care about them; don't ye?"

Well…of course she cared about her sisters! They were her sisters. So…why couldn't she shake this feeling of unease? She and Mom helped bring Em and Zoe into the house…and it did LOOK like the flu…and yet her first impulse was to inquire if their meta-human DNA was beginning to manifest into powers? It was the strangest feeling, like she could FEEL something going on in the twins' room but she was the only one. Even Momma didn't seem to notice it. Could it have been something to do with HER? After all, ever since Gracie's own meta-human DNA had given her healing powers, she'd only been able to heal inflicted damage but not sicknesses. Was…were HER powers getting stronger?

No…no, she didn't think so. As spankin' as that would be…something told her that her sisters were the source of this. If they were in trouble, she would do anything to help them.

As if to underscore the point, a massive thunderclap echoed in the sky. Fat rain drops started plinking on the roof above them.

"That's strange," Mr. Kelly looked up at the quickly blackening sky. "I dinna remember the weather calling for rain, let alone lightning."

"Uh…excuse me, Mr. Kelly. I…think I'm going to go check on my sisters."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The storm raged outside like…well…like they were back in Pennsylvania, strangely enough. The rain was coming down in sheets and thunder and lightning were echoing like it was the end of days. Shego glanced out the window at the chaos of the natural world…and couldn't help but feel a little chill go down her spine…for God only knew what reason. It wasn't…she wasn't worried about anything. Okay, the twins looked to have a bad case of the flu…but they'd been sick before. Shego was actually quite proud of the fact that while she did tend to be overprotective, she'd never been one of THOSE mothers who went into conniptions whenever her kids so much as sneezed. As far as she knew, none of their usual suspects was anywhere within a thousand miles of them…and the world would have to be on the verge of imploding for Betty to interrupt a Possible Family Vacation; but for some reason, Shego just couldn't force herself to completely relax. It was like…like there was something buzzing around her head.

"Eme…penny for your thoughts; you've been staring at that one page for the last ten minutes."

"Princess…have you ever been so close to being able to relax but you just couldn't quite get there? I can't explain it. There's…SOMETHING…that I just can't seem to get off my mind but for the life of me, I can't tell what it is."

Kim had been working on notes for what looked like another book and closed her notebook. Shego could feel her wife studying her. No matter how much she hated to admit it, even now, Kimmie had always been so good at reading her, at knowing what she was thinking to a certain degree. In almost 17 years of marriage it had kind of become like a game. Kim would burrow into the inner most depths of Shego's mind and Shego would pretend not to notice.

"Are you worried about…it…happening?"

She wasn't going to lie. Ever since Gracie's abilities had manifested themselves during that eventful camping trip when she was twelve, if it was possible, their lives had become even MORE complicated. Their meta-human abilities were a kind of special bond that mother and daughter shared but…Shego never would've made this choice for her children. Her abilities, at least when she was Gracie's age, had made her life even more of a living Hell than it was before. Now…Shego was talking to literally the only other person on the planet who knew what Gracie could do…and all three had spent the last four years keeping this secret from their friends and family.

"I…don't know. The last couple of years it's been like…it…hasn't even existed; and if that's the case, we could…it was like we hadn't kept this from Mom and Daddy, Abby, Ron…Kimmie…does it every bother you that we kept this a secret?"

Kim put her notebook on the coffee table and moved over to take a seat next to Shego, putting her arm around her. "Well…it's not exactly like there's a parenting book for when your daughter develops superpowers. You and I…we were just scrambling around trying to keep our daughter safe and…maybe we did let the secret go on too long. A few weeks after the Scarlet Crane affair, Gracie told me that Abs was nearly killed when the plane crashed on the island. Abby was on the verge of death and Gracie had only moments to heal her. At the very least, when we get home, we probably should talk about telling Abby and Mom and Daddy. Feel better?

Yes…and at the same time no. Shego agreed with everything Kim said and she DID feel better about that little unspoken guilt but…this was beginning to seem less and less like just a bother that she couldn't shake. It was almost like…like she could feel something in in the air around her, like she'd been dropped into the middle of a static field with the snap just moments from happening.

"I'm gonna go check on the girls. Hey, if the twins are feeling better tonight, I bet Gracie wouldn't mind babysitting. Maybe you and I could sneak back into Dublin for a little 'us' time?"

Kim smiled and blew her departing lover a kiss. That could last her a while. Family vacations were all well and good but Mom and Daddy always said that the key to a happy marriage was always making some alone time for each other. Kimmie had babysat her brothers on vacations and Gracie was usually as willing. Chloe Agnew had recommended a seaside resort that she wanted to check out; but all of that was dependent on her girls.

Everyone seemed to be doing their own little rainy day activity as Shego moved through the house. Most were cuddled up with a good book. She passed through the kitchen and saw Mr. Carmody and Seamus's sister Katie staring intently at a chess board. Gracie and Ryan Kelly both entered into the kitchen. Gracie was hefting her bodhran and had that look that said she'd been playing.

"Hey, Momma," Gracie smiled as she and George sidled up to Shego. "Are the twins okay?"

She and Kim really had done right with their girls. Kimmie had always told such horror stories about looking after her younger siblings but Gracie took being a big sister very seriously. Shego could remember Gracie leaving her door open during a thunderstorm so Em and Zoe could climb in bed if they got scared. She really saw being a big sister as a great responsibility that she was only too well to honor. Shego smiled and pulled her eldest daughter along with her. If there was any justice in the world, the twins would be awake and seeing Big Sis would be a treat. Seamus had said that they had about gone crazy when they saw Gracie performing on stage.

"Momma," Gracie stopped them as soon as they were out of sight and on the stairs. "Have you been feeling anything…weird…since the twins got back?"

Shego's mouth immediately went dry. Gracie was feeling it too! "Muffin…this is very important. What have you been feeling?"

"Well…uh…I don't really know how to explain it, kind of like there's this…I don't know…feeling…coming from somewhere, like it's just on the verge of recognition. You…you feel it too?"

She didn't just feel it now. Shego glanced up the stairs…and could feel…whatever it was…pulling her towards her girls. Millions of images started flashing through Shego's mind in the span of a second. Shego Possible had always known that her life wasn't easy but…damn it; if both she AND Gracie were feeling something, this had to be meta-human related. The twins WERE developing abilities. Without another word, Shego bolted up the stairs two at a time. She crested the top and dove towards their door and hurled it open.

This wasn't normal! The twins were still in their beds but…it was like moving through water. Every inch of her suddenly felt like it weighed twice as much. She turned back to the twins…and everything WASN'T normal. She'd missed it at first, probably because of the shock of entering the room, but…the air around the twins looked to be enshrouded in…some kind of haze, almost as if she were looking at some kind of mirage. She fought to get closer to her baby girls but every step was becoming harder and harder, like slogging through mud.

"Momma, what's going on? Are the girls…WHAT THE…?"

By sheer force of will, Shego turned her head to shout for Gracie to stop…and by the time she had succeeded in turning around, thank God Gracie had thought to stop on her own, studying the room like she would a suspected trap. Good girl; now she just had to hope that Gracie was smart enough to go and get Kim or Abby. If Wade could zero in on their biomed sensors, maybe he could get a read on what was going on, give them some kind of clue. It was completely by accident that they'd even discovered what Gracie's abilities were but they didn't know what to look for then. Now…

The noise was severely muffled, as if she'd been submerged underwater. Even so, she recognized Kimmie…and what sounded like Abby…but not even the slightest inclination as to what they were saying. Kimmie would know to contact Wade. She'd realize what was going on and would find a way to fix everything; and Abby…it just felt good knowing that everyone else was there.

The air…or whatever it was that was encasing her…was so thick now that she had to be moving in millimeters…and each step was only getting harder; but he had to get to her daughters…

It came out of nowhere. In the blink of an eye…or however long it really was…it was like the static electricity she'd been feeling downstairs finally snapped. A great roaring seemed to come from every direction and before Shego even knew what happened, it ceased.

… _ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH…_

The pain was excruciating, like someone grabbing onto her spinal column and using it for tug of war. What was happening? Were…were the twins…doing this? It was the worst pain she could ever remember and…and…

With a brilliant flash of white light, everything disappeared.

 _Author's Notes:_

 _We've finally reached the point of no return. Is it really the twins causing this? What is happening? Are the Possibles off on another grand adventure? Remember that this story is actually a three-time crossover. Both were pinnacles of my childhood but only one was listed in the FanFiction database. I hope you enjoy them._


	7. Chapter 7

Turret stifled a yawn as he kept a steady eye on the radar display. Times like this gave him a much greater appreciation for what it took to work the night shift. With both of the technicians sick with some mild form of influenza, he'd had little choice but to take the shift himself. He lifted his mug of steaming hot coffee…or at least what passed for coffee on this planet…and took a long swallow. Everyone had had something that made adjusting to Earth difficult and for him that had been a tragic lack of good Valorian grounds. After nearly a year of making a new life for their people in this prehistoric land, Valorian blended grounds were about as rare an item as could be found. Still…it's descendent here on Earth served the same purpose, namely a swift kick in the pants when he needed it most.

Thank goodness sunrise was less than an hour away and his relief would soon be here.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

Turret turned to see Serena creeping up behind him and settling into the seat next to him. Of all the Valorians in exile…or Dino Riders as they tended to call themselves now…Serena, daughter Corinne, seemed practically right at home here, which really wasn't a surprise to anyone that had known her before leaving Cellardyke. The two had attended the Cellardyke Academy of Science together and her studies had always taken her outdoors, communing with all nature of creatures. Her family line was one of the oldest on Cellardyke, so old it was said to go all the way back to the meta-humans of pre-stellar Earth.

"Oh," Turret groaned, putting his now empty mug on the counsel. "There are precious few of those available until I get my share of sleep. You're not due to come on duty for another three hours. Couldn't sleep?"

"Eh, woke up a little while ago and couldn't get back to sleep," She sighed, stretching out her limbs. "I thought you could use some company; anything exciting out there?"

It proved for a boring night but with what the younger crewmembers called "The Jurassic War" with the Rulon Empire at something of a stalemate, Turret had hardly seen a thing. The Rulons were licking their wounds in that volcanic nightmare and except for the odd skirmish now and again, they hardly ever left, which was just fine with Turret. As a science officer, his expertise lay in engineering but he had seen his fair share of combat. The only other risk was some nasty carnivore coming too near their defenses or trying to spook their herds. Quiet may be boring on the night shift but it was far better than the alternative.

The pair traded pleasantries back and forth for a while. Serena had been studying a nesting Parasaurolophus nest several kilometers from the ship. She looked to be a first time mother and Serena didn't dare get closer until the clutch of eggs actually hatched. From what she'd been able to observe, first time mothers were particularly protective of their young, despite whatever assurances a Valorian could convey with an AMP, especially with such a large clutch. As soon as things with the Rulons started quieting down, she would saddle up Dawn, her faithful Quetzalcoatlus, she'd taken to flying farther and farther out, looking for more creatures to study.

… _RING…RING…RING…RING…_

The alarm jarred both out of their pleasant revere. Turret may have been longing for sleep but his hands flew across the consoles with a smooth motion brought about from close to a decade of practice. Whether it was Rulons or a tagged super predator, they had protocol for it.

"Is it Rulons?" Serena barked, studying the master display.

This was…strange…to say the least. It…wasn't Rulons, at least none that Turret had ever heard of. It looked like…and the computers confirmed...that it was some kind of electrical disturbance of all things. It was the makings of a cloudless day and yet in two separate locations, the river basin at the far end of the valley and just outside the mountain range on the edge of Rulan territory, it LOOKED like identical disturbances were occurring. Both spheres of energy looked to be perfectly spherical, barely three yards in diameter and the same in height.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this," Turret marveled. "At least not here; they look like electrical storms, the kind that are naturally occurring in space but…never actually on a planet, at least not that I've ever heard of." The signature kept getting stronger. "This is absolutely incredible. Normally these storms are very grand in scale…but both of these disturbances seemed to be localized to a three yard stretch, almost as if they are housing something."

"Should we wake Questar?"

As if on cue, their leader entered the command deck. "Something going on?"

"We're…not quite sure, sir. A few moments ago, the sensors began picking up isolated electromagnetic disturbances in the region and…I can't make any sense of them. I've never seen occurrences like this on a terrestrial planet before and…"

"Could it be the Rulons?"

"No, sir; these disturbances have only been recorded in nature and I'm certain the Rulons couldn't have developed technology capable of generating this since they've been stranded here…which makes it even more puzzling."

Turret could see the wheels turning in his leader's head. When the Valorian Armada had evacuated Cellardyke, Questar's only concern had been the preservation of the crew and civilians put in his charge, a duty that any of the senior officers knew he took very seriously. Since being stranded in the past, that duty had transformed into building a life for them here on Earth. He would never hesitate to respond to or meet a threat posed by the Rulans or predators…but he wasn't about to take an unnecessary risk. It was one of the things that made so many of the officers and civilian leaders respect him.

Still…now that the initial shock of the occurrence had worn off, Turret found himself growing curious about this whole situation. This WAS the first recorded electromagnetic storm of this signature to ever occur on a terrestrial planet and the scientist in him was growing excited. The ship's sensors could take plenty of readings from here but…a part of him wanted to get out there and make some observations. When…rather IF they ever got back to their own time, this event would make an incredible research paper at the Academy of Science.

"Sir…forgive me if it is out of line but…a lot could be gained by sending someone out there to observe the disturbance. My equipment can be loaded onto a pair of Quetzalcoatlai and we can be out there in less than an hour. Serena and I can…"

Without warning, Serena let out a gasp and her hand shot out towards Turret's shoulder…and Turret's mouth immediately went dry. He knew what that meant without her having to say a word, as did Questar. No one knew if it was part of her meta-human ancestry but Serena always seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to someone being in danger. From what Turret had seen, the reaction was always the same, gasping for breath as if she'd just been punched in the stomach.

"Sir," Serena breathed, turning to Questar. "Someone…is in danger out there…or about to be. We need to get someone out there!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

What…had happened? Abby felt as if she'd been run over by a steam roller and had several swift kicks to the head for good measure. The last thing she remembered was…Ireland. They'd been in Ireland…visiting Seamus's family. He'd taken the twins camping and…and they'd come down with something…and it was all a blank after that. She…she just couldn't pull her mind into focus. This was like…a concussion mixed with a hangover and topped off with a brain tumor. Had…had Seamus gotten her to try Potcheen? He'd always bragged about how much alcohol was in that but…God, had she drunk an entire bottle?

Where was she? Her body may have felt like it'd been dragged through a meat grinder but…she was laying on grass…and it was way too humid to be Ireland. It took most of what strength she still possessed to open her eyelids but things began to materialize and…oh God!

The pain in her body quickly forgotten, Abby leapt to her feet. Lying next to her, completely unconscious was Zoe. Whatever had happened had gotten her too. Abby knelt down and checked her pulse…and gasped a huge sigh of relief as she could feel a steady 100 beats a minute. The poor girl looked to be drenched in sweat…which wasn't at all surprising given how hot it had become…but there didn't LOOK to be anything wrong with her…other than being unconscious. She needed to get her to a doctor…or anywhere where they could get help…which now begged the question of where exactly they were…and how they got there.

It…it almost looked like…the only thing she could think of was the Caribbean, Costa Rica or Martinique but…how in God's name could that have happened? She was starting to remember…the twins had been on a camping trip with Seamus and…had come down with something. They'd brought them back to the house and…and she'd heard Shego and Gracie scream.

"Ngggghhhh."

Thank God she was starting to wake up. "Zoe? Sweetheart, can you hear me?"

"A…Abby? It…it hurts. Everything hurts," She replied weakly.

"I know, kiddo. I'm gonna get you fixed up real soon. Can you sit up for me?"

Her charge gave a small sigh and tried to wedge herself up. You could always trust what genes the girls had inherited from Shego to heal them quickly. Abby propped her up next to a nearby…palm tree? God, she didn't have time for that now. Now that Zoe was awake, Abby could do a better diagnosis. She looked unharmed for the most part. No signs of a concussion or anything; Zoe just looked utterly exhausted and her meta-human healing seemed to be starting to take care of that.

"Well, the good news is that you'll play the violin," Abby tried to humor her before the realization dawned on her. "That is, if you played it before."

At least it got a small laugh…before she got a look around. "Abby…where are we? Where's…everybody else?"

Both finally got a good look at their environment. Wherever they were, it certainly did look tropical. "Well, they've got to be somewhere. First, we've got to find out where WE are."

It wasn't Ireland. THAT was for sure. It looked like they were on the edge of a valley…a BIG valley, right next to a big river. At least they would have fresh water until they were found. That was one worry off her list. The river seemed to snake down the length of the valley and all along it, Abby could see pockets of forest…and enormous trees too, some of them reaching all the way up to the lip of the valley. That…that had to be at least 400 feet; the only place with trees that big was the Redwood Forest…and there was no way they were in Northern California.

"Abby! Look over there! That looks like smoke!"

Sure enough, a steady stream of smoke was rising from somewhere around the bend. The smoke was white…which, in Abby's experience, was usually a sign of civilization. Abby's hand crept down to one of her Heckler & Koch side arms she'd thankfully had the wherewithal to grab. If this WAS the Caribbean…there were plenty of dangers that they could encounter in the jungle, least of all what she was going to have to do if Shego or Kim or any of the others had been abducted. If only she'd thought to grab a communicator…hell, even a pair of binoculars.

But Abby wasn't going to be able to protect the charge she DID have, let alone find the rest, if she couldn't find them some food and shelter for the night. "Zoe, you think you're okay to walk?"

Zoe was indeed a fast healer. It was only a few minutes and she was definitely feeling well enough that she could stand. Zoe had already guessed the plan, always the clever kid, and…actually seemed kind of excited to get moving. Hey, as long as Zoe wasn't as truly freaked about their situation as Abby was, that was perfectly fine. The two hiked down a winding path, weaving in between a seemingly endless series of boulders, until it opened up into open grassy terrain. It really WAS beautiful, wherever they had ended up. Abby had to admit. It…almost reminded her of being back home in Washington…except with fewer evergreens. If she could just put everything else out of her mind, it was kind of like she was leading Zoe on a Pixie Scout hike.

The pair were making good time, even better as soon as Abby realized that the sun was in fact rising as opposed to setting. Thank God Kim or Shego weren't around or she would have never heard the end of THAT one; but at the best of times, Abby had seen the kids maintain at least 20 miles a day. There was no way that the smoke was farther than that. Barring no unforeseen interruptions, they should be able to cover the distance easily by…

… _RAWWWWWRRRRR…_

Abby's eyes darted skyward and her side arm was out. DAMN IT; WHEN would she learn not to do that? You never had a negative thought like that and…her eyes settled on the source of the noise.

"Zoe…uh…I need you to do something for me. Am…am I the only one seeing a…a DINOSAUR up there?"

Okay…in the grand scheme of things, Abby liked to think that since coming to work for Kim and Shego Possible, the former Secret Service and Global Justice agent liked to think that she'd seen it all but…even for the colorful characters that made up their list of adversaries, throwing her into the middle of a Jurassic Park knock-off had never made the list. Was…was THAT what had happened? Did DNAmy or…maybe Monkey Fist…was one of THEM responsible for this whole cluster fuck? Abby felt her grip tighten on her Heckler and Koch .45. If those bastards had interrupted their vacation…or worse, had INFECTED THE TWINS with something…GRRRRRRRR! There wasn't going to be any place in the world they could hide from her!

As Abby stared at the Flintstones extra circling over them…was that a human being riding on top?

"Zoe…head back towards the rocks."

Both had turned to…

… _RRRRROOOOAAAARRRRRR…_

God…Abby had seen enough movies to know what that sound meant…and it meant teeth. Abby grabbed Zoe and pulled her towards the river. Whatever that thing was, odds were that it couldn't swim. With a great heave, Abby tossed her charge into the water and whirled around to face…a Tyrannosaurs Rex…or…damn it; it had TEETH! For all the good it would do, she heaved her side arm up and began popping off rounds. At the very least, she might get a lucky shot and blind the SOB.

… _three…_

… _two…_

… _last round in the clip…have to make it count…_

… _ZAP…BOOM…_

Abby was knocked off her feet as an explosive force went off in front of her, showering her in dirt and stone. God…her head sounded like a bell tower. She could still feel her .45 clutched in her death grip and she at least had enough composure left to remember that her gun was as good as empty. She grasped around the area of her holster, trying to find a fresh clip, for all the good it would do if she now had face a dentist's wet dream AND whatever was capable of doing this…

 _GET THE GIRL TO SAFETY!_

The thought echoed through her head like…like someone else's voice was being put literally INSIDE hers. Whatever was happening…the dinosaur was distracted. Whoever was tracking them…she could LOSE them. Abby holstered her side arm, climbed to her feet and turned towards the river. The explosion had left a dusty haze in the air but she could just make out Zoe's form in the water, within arm's reach of the other side.

 _Go to the water. Friends will be there!_

Well…if this was all some big scheme, it was still probably better to be a prisoner than lunch. Abby burst out of the dust cloud and hit the cool water with a _SPLASH_. There was a slight current but they'd made it far enough away from the hill that it wasn't bad. She slipped into a breast stroke and began crossing what looked like a forty foot span. Her head broke the water and she immediately spotted Zoe, frantically waving her to the opposite bank. The ground was rocky but her feet made contact and she began pushing herself up onto dry land. No time to rest, she jumped to her feet and corralled Zoe into her arms.

"I'm okay," Abby promised, giving her a quick hug.

It sounded almost like a battle was going on where she had been. Abby chanced a look back and…what in God's name was she looking at? Not only was that…what was it…a pterodactyl…being ridden by an honest to God Human Being but…there were guns…ACTUAL GUNS mounted on the wings…like something out of a science fiction movie…and it was actually DIVE BOMBING the T-Rex! This was…this was unbelievable…

"OVER HERE!"

Abby's hand shot to her side arm and swung Zoe out of harm's way in the same motion. It was…a woman. Not all threatening by the look of her but Abby wasn't about to let that fool her. She was standing in front of another dinosaur…that Abby, of course, had absolutely no idea what it was…but it looked to be equipped with not only a litter but…nothing short of a cannon was mounted on each side.

 _Please…we mean you no harm. You've got to come with us before more Alosaurs show up!_

She did! She had to get Zoe on that litter! She didn't know how she knew it but…the woman didn't mean her any harm and...and that was their way out. She holstered her side arm, hefted Zoe up into her arms, and took off running.

"I don't know who you are," Abby heaved a breath as she set Zoe on the litter and climbed on behind her. "But if you harm so much as a hair on that girl's head, this gun will paint the countryside with your blood!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Serena stood outside the medical center, gazing upon their new arrivals, the woman and…and the meta-human girl. Questar had learned long ago never to argue when one of her feelings had arisen and they had moved with all haste to the nearest disturbance location. At the time, she'd had no idea whether or not the danger she felt meant the village or something else but…the question was readily answered upon getting out there. The last thing that she'd…that ANYONE…had thought to find were people…let alone a meta-human.

The older woman had identified herself as Abigail Normal. Quite obviously a woman of action, she seemed to have an almost motherly protection over the child, whom she identified only as Zoe, a girl of no more than ten…with pale skin that bordered on being green. Neither seemed to know exactly how they had gotten here…at least not that they had said…but Serena hadn't pushed the subject. She'd seen the way they were staring at the Lambeosaurus pulling them along, much the same as many of the Valorians the first time they'd seen these amazing creatures.

"Any news on our guests?" Serena turned to see Questar approaching.

Serena turned back to judge the procedure. Doctor Cornelius looked to be concluding his examination of the two and they were beginning to dress. By the time they had reached the camp, both Abigail and Zoe had been soaked to the skin so Serena's first objective had been to find them some dry clothing. Serena managed to find one of her spare uniforms that seemed to fit Abigail nicely and finding something to fit Zoe hadn't been any trouble. The whole thing looked…rather fitting if she said so herself.

"Well, Doctor?" Questar asked.

"Uh…both…both women appear to be fine, no signs of illness or injuries…"

"But I sense there is something you DID discover?"

"Sir…I…I ran every test that I could think of and then I ran the same tests again and there's no escaping the conclusion I found. In their blood samples, I found alleles that…that I've only read about in textbooks. I don't think these have been seen in a blood sample in…it has to be over 1000 years."

"So you're saying that…"

"There's only one inevitable conclusion. Both women can only be from the past…or rather the future or…I…they're from pre-stellar Earth, sometime in the 21st century unless I missed my guess."

Time Travel? Those two had traveled through time? That was…nothing short of remarkable. What were the odds? As the Valorians began getting used to life on Prehistoric Earth, Turret and many of the other science officers and civilians had marveled how the centuries of research and debate surrounding time travel had been rendered moot completely by accident. The odds of the STEP generator pulling them through into the past the way it had was nothing short of a miracle. Many still hoped to one day return to their own time but…it always seemed to be on the back burner, to use an old Earth saying; but Abigail and Zoe…were from the 21st century, nearly 1100 years in the Valorians' PAST…and they had found themselves in exactly the same situation.

"Astounding," Questar gasped. "Do they know where they are?"

"Well…Abigail appears to be an educated woman and is making the correct assumptions. The younger one…is quite frankly a child, young enough to be very resilient when it comes to things like this. I'd expect it is all one big game to her, the dear thing."

"Well…I'll have quarters prepared for them. Serena, I'm appointing you liaison to them. Please tell Abigail that I would like to see her as soon as they are settled."

"Serena," Doctor Cornelius pulled Serena aside as Questar departed. "Might I have a private word?"

Serena glanced at Abigail and Zoe, now dressed and likely waiting for her. The doctor looked as if…time travel was remarkable enough but Doctor Cornelius looked as if there was even more…and something he wasn't comfortable sharing in front of Questar?

"I'm afraid there's more. As you know, when our systems analyze a blood sample, they also look for viable matches in the event of an accident. Relatives are usually the most likely and the system takes that into account…more so with meta-humans since their blood is so difficult to place. The computer generated two results within the population that remains here on Earth."

A viable match; she…she was a blood ancestor to a Dino Rider? The odds of these two being sent to the same time as the Valorians were unlikely enough…but the odds of one of them being an ancestor to a Valorian had to be…even more unlikely was the only thing she could think of. Adjectives simply failed her.

"Who in the name of Valoria could she be related to?"

"Well…meta-human DNA has very distinct markers past on through generations Serena, there's absolutely no easy way to say this but…I think that 10 year old child in there is the beginning of a very ancient and distinguished line…including you and your grandfather."

She…she was…

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I had only ever seen the first episode until recently but Dino-Riders was one of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid. I'm so thrilled that I've been hearing rumors of a live-action movie. Ever since watching Jurassic World, I've wanted to write a crossover like this and I hope you all like where it goes._

 _Dino Riders is the intellectual property of Gerry and Carla Conway and the copyrighted property of Marvel Productions._


	8. Chapter 8

Abby gazed upon the seemingly endless racks of advanced weapons and…she couldn't lie. Even in their current situation, she was a little excited. Ever since she was little, and most likely the fault of her four older brothers, Abby had looked forwards to Independence Day the way that most other kids looked forward to Christmas. She remembered walking into Ka-Boomers Fireworks every June with Daddy and…it was like working into a high class French Bakery only instead of Croissants and Eclairs, she absolutely salivated over creations with names Foreign Policy Maker and Gates of Hell and…okay, Ray MAY have egged her on a little bit but…the box said Sexy Bitch…and she just couldn't help herself. Now…now she was looking at massive shoulder-mounted Jericho cannons and Peritas pistols and Pegasus assault rifles. It was like…like she was Charlie Puckett and she'd just walked into the Wonka factory.

Upon arriving at what Serena introduced as New Valoria, Abby's doubts about where they were had begun to dwindle. DNAmy would've been capable of resurrecting dinosaurs to some degree. Hench Co undoubtedly had some kind of technology like that either in development or already in production; but the sheer numbers with which these creatures had been reproduced…brachiosaurus, triceratops, stegosaurs…it was like she was walking on the set of Jurassic World; and she couldn't ever remember DNAmy…or any supervillain for that matter…bringing so many kids into their schemes.

Giant wood fortifications and buildings loomed all over the place and…forget Jurassic Park…seeing those heavy guns mounted onto dinosaurs like they were some kind of living tank wasn't like any work of science fiction Abby had ever heard of. The moment Kim saw them, she was going to go slack jawed…but all of that paled in comparison to the ship.

The first order of business was ensuring that nothing had happened to Abby or Zoe during whatever had brought them here. The ship was incredibly massive but the moment she and her charge were escorted into the medical clinic…she was in heaven! It was like the medical deck of the USS Enterprise. She really expected to see Doctor McCoy waltz in and make some kind of gruff complaint about his Captain's unreasonable expectations. The doctor, a Dr. Cornelius, took a few blood samples, ran some tests with equipment Abby couldn't even begin to pronounce, and thankfully declared them both healthy.

After a quick word with the Doctor and what Abby was fairly certain was a higher ranking officer, Serena had informed both Abby and Zoe that until they could discovered how they got there and if they could be returned, arrangements were being made for Abby and Zoe to stay with her and her grandfather. While many had established housing outdoors, the ship was more or less a militarized cruise ship. There was a compliment of rooms for everyone and Serena and her grandfather still preferred them to setting up shop outside. Despite being blind, her Grandfather Zei looked to be keenly aware of the world around him and was very welcoming. Neither Abby nor Zoe had much in the way of luggage so Zei assured Abby that he would…keep a close eye on Zoe…for some reason, she was surprised to hear him make an attempt at humor…while Serena escorted Abby to Questar, the leader of the Valorians, for a debriefing.

It hadn't taken long for Abby to gauge the kind of man she was dealing with. A little younger than Doctor Director, with flecks of grey scattering his shoulder-length blonde hair, he was a man used to command but one who took the responsibility very seriously; a lot like Doctor Director if you thought about it. The Valorians didn't have much but Abby and Zoe had a place here until or if they managed to find a way to get them back. The only good news he had to offer regarding their situation, however, was that so far, Abby and Zoe were the only ones that had been stuck here. There was still one electrical disturbance…whatever it was that brought them there…occurring just outside Rulan…the enemy that they were fighting…territory but Questar's military advisor was organizing a detachment to secure the scene as soon as the scouts could return.

Well Abigail Normal O'Sullivan wasn't about to be left out of that!

"Now, little lady," Gunner, the head of the Valorians' military contingent, reminded her a lot of her Uncle Harry, a career Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps, Hell on the enemy but a teddy bear back home. "Here, you've got your _Peritas_ wrist mounted blaster. This little beauty fires a beam of super-heated plasma effective at 65 meters; she's a nasty little sweetheart if you ever get cornered by a nosy little Sharkurr. Doesn't she feel like a little piece of heaven?"

Admittedly…Abby had absolutely no idea what she was feeling for. She picked up the _Peritas_ and settled it in her right hand. The thing felt light, much lighter than her HK. The actual barrel was relatively short. The handle was mounted almost exactly center and the rest seemed to form a cuff around her wrist. The way that Gunner explained it, that portion of the weapon housed an internal plasma generator, something to do with using the body's own heat to charge each burst. Firearms may be a passion but physics as most definitely Greek to her.

"It's so light," Abby marveled. "How many shots does it fire?"

"Well, it has a 1.5 second recharge time after each shot. If you don't care about accuracy too much, you can pop off a good 50 shots without it overheating; but if you're gonna round up your friends you're gonna need something more than a wrist piece. I've got something SPECIAL to show you."

Gunner moved along the racks of weapons and stopped on what looked a little like a Famas rifle only with the mag mounted on the side, sort of like an old Sten MK II. About the size of a Sten too, now that she got a hold of it. Man, this thing was more like a submachine gun than an assault rifle. Just like the side-arm, the piece was incredibly light, almost like she was holding a BB gun. She brought up the weapon and peeked down the sights.

"Say hello to the Hadrian STK assault blaster. Effective range of just over 500 meters, she's fed by one of these," Gunner held out what looked like a small paintball container. Unlike the side-arm, the assault blaster's plasma generator couldn't tap into the human body's internal heat so it had to be loaded with an energy generator. "Replace the pack every 80 shots and she'll never let you down."

Gunner slid over a combat harness and 6 energy packs. Abby slid the harness around her torso and began sliding the packs to the slots, placing the side-arm into a holster and slung the blaster across her back. God, if Shego could see her now…as much as she hated to admit it, she had to look every inch the Republic Commando about to go into battle on the forest moon of Endor. She checked her watch…and they had another thirty minutes until the convoy left. She'd check in with Zoe and then see if she could get in some target practice. Not that she expected anything to be wrong. To Zoe, this whole kerfuffle was like…well…Abby had no idea; but they weren't here more than a few hours and a welcoming committee of the local kids showed up at Zei and Serena's door, asking if the new girl wanted to go see the Torosaurs…to which Zoe begged Abby to say yes. Hey, as long as Zoe was having fun, it was completely fine with Abby.

The humid air seemed to club her over the head, serving as a constant reminder of the fact that only hours ago, they were in the cool Irish springtime. Now that she was armed up, she kept going over what Turret, the science officer, and Questar had informed her in the briefing. Thus far, it was only she and Zoe here. The other disturbance…whatever it was…was right on the edge of their enemy's territory. These Rulons…whoever they were…were something straight out of DNAmy's playbook but with a nasty streak that would make Khan Noonian Singh cringe, especially their leader, this "Emperor" Krulos. She thought about Kim or Shego or Gracie…or God help her…EMILY being in the hands of a monster like that…and she kept feeling the bottom drop out of her stomach. Shego would be able to give them living Hell…and Kim could fend for herself…

She was with people who could help her, who were WILLING to help her. They were going to get there in time and if anyone got in their way, dinosaur or…or homicidal alien, Abby would burn them to a cinder with her newfound weaponry…

… _THUMP…_

Abby was yanked out of her internal musings as she collided squarely with Serena.

"I…uh…was hoping to bump into you…but not quite this literally," Serena laughed as she climbed back to her feet and reached a hand down. She had a laugh a lot like Kim…and as much Shego pretended to be the Mamma Bear of the family, that line was straight out of Shego's dorky dad joke book. Abby climbed to her feet and brushed herself off. A part of her hoped that it was Kim or Shego that was in that electrical whatever it was. Both of them would get along with those two. "Still taking everything in?"

"Well…believe it or not, with everything that I've seen working with Zoe's parents, somehow time travel and dinosaurs doesn't seem that strange."

"You must've seen some fascinating things. What did you do for her parents?"

"Well…before I met them , I was an agent for Global Justice…that's…" What was it Ron always called Time Travel…a cornucopia of disturbing concepts? She and Zoe had wound up in the past…and been rescued by people from THEIR future. "Sorry; I…I'm still trying to come to grips with our situation. Global Justice is…WAS…depending on your comprehension of the space time continuum…an international law keeping and espionage organization. Zoe's mother did some freelance contracting for us, was one of the best. Anyway, when she got pregnant, an assassin tried to kill her in a knife fight and afterwards, I was assigned to her as a protection detail and…I don't know. I guess neither of us wanted me to go. I've been with Kim and Shego through four kids, dozens of secret missions. Just a few months ago, their eldest daughter and I flew an antique aircraft on a rescue operation when her mother was abducted by a group of cyber-terrorists. In her spare time, Zoe's mother's a novelist and I'm sort of the family's head of security."

"They sound like fascinating people. I…have to admit, as soon as you said who you were, I checked our historical records. Kim and Shego Possible really DID do some amazing things. Even on Cellardyke, the name is…well-known…to say the least. Shego Possible and her brothers were some of the first meta-humans in history and…"

Serena trailed off. Something was strange. If there had been any questions about whether or not the Valorians meant she or Zoe any harm, they had long since been put to rest…but all of Abby's experience as an investigator, every moment spent learning how to read people, was coming back to her. Serena was keeping something from her...for all that Abby couldn't blame her. Ron DID say that time travel was a cornucopia of disturbing concepts to say the least but she'd seen enough movies to know that there was always a danger of knowing too much about your own future; but…for the moment, Abby's focus was on securing Kim or Shego or whoever was at the epicenter of that bundle of energy. Once they WERE safe…what was their next move? What was it that brought them here in the first place…and could it get them home?

There was a clink of metal hitting the floor.

"Oh," Serena stopped short and knelt down to retrieve what she'd dropped. "I nearly forgot. I have something for you." Serena smiled and held out what turned out to be a metallic medallion very similar to the one Serena herself wore. What had they called it…an AMP or something like that? "When your medical examinations finished, I had these made for Zoe and yourself. It's an AMP medallion…like the ones we wear." Serena unwound the leather strap connected to the medallion and draped it around Abby's neck. The moment the cool metal made contact with Abby's chest, she felt a jolt shoot through her system like it was being jumpstarted. "Oh…forgive me. I should've warned you. That's the traces of meta-human DNA in your system being awakened."

"But," Abby gasped, catching her breath. "Meta-human DNA? I'm not…"

"That's…kind of a long story, one for another time. Suffice it to say, that…well…meta-human DNA goes a lot farther back than Shego Possible and Team Go. Do you feel alright now?"

She…she felt like the entire room was bulging, like she was incased in wall to wall rubber or a balloon. The feeling was…indescribable. "Meta-human DNA went farther than Shego"; was this what it felt like when Shego generated plasma? It was like…like she could feel every molecule around her like she'd suddenly been plugged into some kind of massive network…

The medallion began giving off a gentle red glow.

"I…I think so," Abby gasped, trying to catch the breath that she didn't even know she'd lost. "What…what was that?"

"Again, I feel I must apologize. The first exposure to an AMP is always difficult but…Questar and I felt it best that if you were to accompany the recovery team that you were as prepared as we could make you. It will take some time to master but…with an AMP, you can commune with any Valorian in the region. Consider it…a gift."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

What was Serena's story? As much as Abby couldn't help but like Serena…SOMETHING was getting Abby's hackles up. Their little encounter back at the ship had been…strange…to say the least. Abby's hand jumped to the medallion around her neck as it did every time she thought back to that moment. Serena…the Valorians…this whole thing just seemed…

Abby's mount jarred her out of her internal musings. There wasn't any point in thinking about it now. Whatever Serena was hiding…the Valorians didn't pose a threat…and while her interest in the Abby and Zoe did seem odd, neither did Serena.

Where "New Valoria" had been something out of…well…the Possible family's last vacation to Hawaii, Abby had trekked through lush green forests and plains to what was becoming increasingly barren. Not wasteland exactly but…it reminded her a little too much of the eastern half of her home state of Washington. She turned and took in her surroundings. She herself was atop a Gallimius, a far cry from an Appaloosa stallion, but she couldn't deny feeling a certain sense of security emanating from the twin laser cannons mounted on the creature's sides. Point of fact, she was one of several mounted on such a creature and with such armaments. She glanced skywards again and took in the Quetzalcoatlus (kind of like a Pterodactyl but MUCH bigger) circling above them providing air cover. Serena would be on one of those. The big gun in their party was the Torosaurus…some kind of triceratops…mounted with some kind of armament Abby couldn't even begin to describe, only have a nagging urge to see it in action…if in other circumstances. If the Rulons were aware of whatever it was that brought Abby and the rest here…which most everyone she talked to was certain that they were…they were certainly going to have a fight on their hands. Abby was determined to see to that.

"Boy, SOME one looks ready for a fight."

Abby couldn't help but smile. The leader of their little convoy, a young officer named Youngstar, despite being 12 years her junior at least, reminded her so much of Ray that it was like looking right at him. She'd spoken to a few of the more senior officers and most everyone agreed that he was a more than capable officer if a little on the over-confident and impulsive side. Ray…well…kind of still WAS like that, the lovable scoundrel, and he and Youngstar likely would've gotten along famously. He flashed Abby a smile. That reminded her even MORE of Ray. The only thing that Youngstar thought himself more of a master than…well…everything was his way with the ladies.

"I have no idea who we're going to find when we get there," Abby's free hand began sneaking down to the blaster holstered at her side. "I've protected the Possible family for almost 20 years. If these Rulons are as nasty as you say…Shego will turn those freaks into fertilizer but…whatever brought us here…whenever I think about Zoe's twin sister Emily…or their older sister Gracie…at the hands of those…those MONSTERS…? I've got to admit," She drew her blaster and took aim at the rocks. "I'm feeling a lot better about the whole thing with your little collection of presents."

Youngstar had been in the armory when Abby had turned in her Heckler and Koch .45 and…the kid stared at the thing like she'd handed Gunner the Holy Grail or Caesar's sword. She'd used her pair of HK .45s going all the way back to her Global Justice days, largely for it being so light and maintaining such good stopping power. Somehow…she'd never thought about them actually being…to these people, that was practically a museum piece, worth who knew how much.

The closer they got to Rulon territory, the quieter things became and if Abby thought it was hot before…GOD, you'd have thought she just stepped into Hell itself. The terrain went from reminding her of the Great Plains to…well…when she was a kid, the family drove down to visit Charlie when he was stationed in Texas and the car broke down somewhere in Nevada…or it might have been southern Utah…wherever it was, it was hot and the only thing for mile around was sand. Wherever they were now, there WERE mountains to break up the seemingly endless view of sand but…man, the temperature just seemed to slap her across the face.

The troupe trudged on for another few miles until they were well within the mountain range. Where things were quiet before, now the tension was so thick that you could cut it with a boot knife. What's more, Abby could almost feel an electricity in the air. That had to mean that they were getting close to whatever it was that brought her and Zoe. Now that they were on the verge of getting whichever of her family was about to be dropped in their lap…her next goal was rapidly becoming how to get back to their own time. She wasn't a scientist by any stretch of the imagination but…with any luck, Shego would be the one to come through there and the more information Abby could gather for her old friend, the better. The troupe crested a hill…and there it was! At least she thought that was it. Buzzing before her was some kind of perfect sphere composed of an eerie energy…or light…or…this was why she wasn't a scientist! For all she knew, she'd just walked off the set of Jurassic Park and onto the set of Terminator.

The only thing that she could immediately determine was that this…anomaly was probably the best word to use…was that it was small, probably only small enough for one person. Of course, Abby hadn't been there for her own grand entrance but unless they were packed in there tighter than a drum, there was probably only one…

…it was only for a moment, a brief flicker in the field, but it had been enough. She felt the knot in her stomach relax a bit as she saw that indeed there was only one figure contained inside and it was big enough to be fully grown. Thank God for small mercies. If there was any justice, Gracie, Emily, and Nicky weren't caught up in this whole affair but at least Abby could say with a sense of certainty that they weren't going to wind up here where they could possibly wind up…well…best not to dwell on that. Abby was certain that whoever was contained within that sphere was an adult but the glimpse had been took quick to tell who. A part of her wished…God, she was actually WISHING for someone to be in this situation with her…that it was Shego. Her plasma abilities would certainly make any Rulons they encounter think twice about messing with Team Possible.

"Now THAT's not something you see every day, even when you've traveled through time," Youngstar pulled up his mount next to hers. "So this is what brought you here?"

"Well…I may have nodded off for most of the trip," Abby flashed the young officer a wry grin. "It was only a glimpse but I think one of Zoe's parents is in there. Do you think that the Rulons know about this yet?"

"No way to tell," Youngstar heaved a sigh and looked around the terrain. Now that they were on the edge of enemy territory, Abby could detect much more tension in the young man. At least his enthusiasm and confidence did have its limits when the situation called for it. Youngstar reached up to his AMP and it began glowing. He was contacting someone in the vicinity. "Serena and the others can't make out anything from up there." He turned and shouted orders to the rest of the group. There was a rumble from a few of the dinosaurs and their riders began forming a perimeter. Youngstar urged his mount further forward and Abby fell in behind. "Serena and Corin should be able to give us enough warning if anything comes our way but we'll stay as long as we can. Even if they sent their best, in these canyons, it'd take them hours to get here."

It was agonizingly slow going but the flickering grew more consistent and the light began to dim. Thank God her first hunch was right. There was only one person there. Abby would've loved to have Shego's plasma at her back but Kim Possible was no slouch either, especially when she would inevitably get her hands on the weapons Abby now carried. Abby studied the unconscious form of her friend. Kim looked unharmed from what Abby could make out; still clothed in the jeans and t-shirt Abby had last seen her in, like nothing had even happened. She looked peaceful, like the figurehead on a Spanish Galleon suspended in mid-air. Was this what Abby had looked like?

"So…that's the legendary Kim Possible?"

Youngstar was silhouetted against the failing light. "Legendary to you; she and I have been together since she was 18. That's the woman who can't even manage to toast bread without the Fire Department having to show up…though I guess I should've known she'd end up…is she really a legend?"

"I guess that might be a poor choice of words. That Possibles are…well…they're old world. I mean SERIOUSLY old world. My Earth history is a little rusty but I think they'd be akin to the Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower. All recorded meta-human ancestry…and some of the most innovative work done in that field…was done by the Possible Clan. Not much is left from those days in human history when we left our time but…that was. I'd wager some of the Valorians HERE might even be Possible descendants."

Abby's eyebrow rose. With all her thoughts about the pitfalls of time travel, she hadn't considered that one. Man, this was beginning to seem less and less like Jurassic Park and more like the most bizarre Back to the Future spinoff she'd ever heard of. Abby turned back towards Kim. It wasn't going to be long now, by the look of it. The energy field kept winking in and out of existence like a flickering lightbulb. She glanced at her watch, giving her husband a prayer of thanks for the antique watch he'd given her for Valentine's Day, still ticking. They were coming up on 8:30 and the sun was just beginning to wink out for the night. Their air cover continued to circle above, giving Abby a sense of security but…she wanted this to be over!

And just like that, like a prayer being answered, the energy field collapsed with an enormous _BANG_ and Kimberly Possible hit the ground with a light _THUMP_. Abby rushed up and cradled her old friend in her arms and began checking her vitals.

"Kim? Kim, can you hear me?"

She had a pulse, if an erratic one. Her chest was rising and falling with a steady heartbeat. Nothing looked immediately wrong with…

… _THUMP…_

… _THUMP…_

… _THUMP…_

 _RULONS!_

Abby's head darted up towards Serena…or at least what she thought was Serena. Getting the hang of this whole ESP AMP thing suddenly became very low on her priority list. Their makeshift camp exploded in activity in the blink of an eye. They were so close…Abby wasn't going to lose it in the home stretch now! She hefted her friend up into her arms and ran back to her mount, the creature obviously a little skittish with the activity.

"Can you make your way back to camp?" Youngstar shouted, leaping up onto his own mount. "We'll buy you as much time as we can."

"I don't really have much choice. Do I?" Abby gave a small laugh as she secured Kim to the chair and climbed on behind her. It was far from comfortable but it would do. "I'll send help as soon as I can."

"Don't worry about us. Gunner should be leading a team a few kilometers to the south; had them just in case…well…THIS happened."

Abby drew her side-arm and spurred her mount to a…could two legged animals gallop…damn it; this wasn't the time. It was plenty dark out by now but even at this distance, the Valorian camp gave off a faint glow like an aurora borealis. Nothing mattered as long as they were moving in that direction.

"Abby…Abby…"

"Don't worry, Kim. We're in a bit of a pickle but….somehow I don't think it's something you can't handle. Just hold on."


	9. Chapter 9

… _Zoe…_

… _Emily…_

… _Eme…_

… _Gracie…_

… _Abby…_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Kim shot up in bed like a taught catapult. Where…where was her family? Where was her wife…her children…? Kim started gasping for breath, like she'd just emerged from underwater. Where in the name of all things Holy was she? Where was Shego…the girls…Abby? The last thing that she remembered was hearing Gracie scream and rushing upstairs and…and…nothing! It was entirely a blank. She knew SOMETHING happened but…there was an image of Eme standing over the twins' bed and…and…a sound, some kind of great roar like….

"Mommy; you're awake!"

The voice…and the ensuing cannon ball-like collision…jerked Kim's senses like a variety show hook. Zoe seemed to appear out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around her mother, Kim's arms unconsciously embracing her daughter. Her breathing began to steady. Just the sight of Zoe acted like a salve, relaxing her. The embrace broke apart…and Kim couldn't help it but she started checking the younger Possible injuries. Of course common sense said that if the poor girl was hurt, she likely wouldn't have hit her mother the way she did but…

"Mommy…Mommy, it's okay. I'm fine."

"Sweetie…" For the first time, Kim actually took the time to look at her daughter…which brought on far more questions than it answered. The last time she'd seen the girl, she was clad in day-old jeans and a Ferret Girl t-shirt. Now, she looked like…well…the closest comparison that Kim could think of was some kind of pint sized Rebel Commando from the Forest Moon of Endor. If…if this was Shego's idea of a prank, they were going to have one HELL of a "counseling session" when they got back from…Kim looked around the room. It…had the look of an infirmary of some kind. Lord knows she'd spent enough time in them to recognize the look and feel…but…Kim couldn't see a single piece of technology that she could even come close to naming. If this WAS a prank…even Shego wouldn't go this far. "Zoe…sweetie…what's going on?"

"Well," Zoe let out a light little laugh. "That's kind of hard to explain…but it's REALLY cool!"

As if on cue, the door at the far end whooshed open and Kim's gaze shot in that direction in time to see…her stomach felt like the relief was going to make the organ jump up and start doing a tango with one of her lungs. Abby's attire may have been just as puzzling as Zoe's but Kim was so glad to see her old friend that she could've been dressed like Monkey Fist and Kim would've welcomed her with open arms. Kim took in Abby's appearance…and felt an enormous surge of relief as she spotted that Abby was armed. Whatever their situation was…if Abby had managed to hold on to even anything that could be considered a weapon, she'd be a force to be reckoned with.

"She's not wrong," Abby breathed as she sidled up to her friend and wrapped her in a one-armed hug. "It IS pretty cool…but there's time enough for that later. How're you feeling?"

"Uh…okay…I think. Abby…what happened?"

Kim leaned back in the hospital bed…which, for the love of God, seemed to be floating in mid-air…and listened to her friend and confidant begin her explanation. The short answer to the question was that they appeared to have traveled by time. Not only had they traveled through time…but they'd managed to encounter ANOTHER group of time travelers…who were from the future. Not…not the present…or…or the future…THEIR future; man, Ron was right when he said that time travel was a cornucopia of disturbing concepts. These people, the Valorians, were from two thousand years in Kim's future. THEY'RE story was something that Abby was still trying to piece together. Suffice to say that they had been followed through time by a group of alien beings called the Rulons and…Abby had yet to see them but the Valorians made them seem like some kind of DNAmy experiment with a little homicidal streak a mile wide.

And of course, Zoe was only to anxious to reveal that they just happened to be alongside dinosaurs, as if time travelers and aliens weren't enough.

"I…I was just in Ireland," Kim groaned. "I was having a good time with my family, trying to do something that DIDN'T end in insanity, I…I'd just seen my daughter perform in front of dozens of people…what does Shego think?"

"Well, that's the thing. They're not here, Shego, Gracie, or Emily. I don't…the Valorians don't know what it was that brought us here but they're certain it's only the three of us." Abby glanced towards the door. "Listen, I kept them outside until we had a chance to talk but the leader of the Valorians was hoping you'd talk to him. He's…a good guy, a lot of these people are, and…I don't know if they CAN help us but they're willing to do whatever they can."

In all the excitement, Kim hadn't really expected to meet any of these…in the grand scheme of things, she could probably still call them people…but she figured that she owed this Questar at least that for taking care of Zoe and charging off with Abby to Kim's rescue. No matter how unfair the world was being right now, she'd take whatever help she could get. Kim nodded and Abby got up towards the door, leaving mother and daughter alone for a few moments.

"It's gonna be okay, Mom," Zoe assured her, holding her hand. "The Valorians are really nice."

According to Abby, she and Zoe hadn't been…here…for more than 24 hours but Zoe was already becoming fast friends with a lot of the Valorian youth, hardly a surprise as far as Kim was concerned. Her children had friends across the world…and might as well add across time and space as well. The Valorians, as Zoe had learned, had been forced to leave their planet when the Rulons attacked and the ship she now found herself in had housed over 8000 people and was only one of an entire fleet designed to evacuate their entire population and…Kim hadn't heard someone go on and on with such excitement since Ron had dragged her to a re-airing of all seven Space Passage movies.

"But…you're okay, sweetie?"

"Are you kidding, Mom? I'm spankin'. My new friend Llad taught me how to ride a Ankylosaurus. This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me."

Well…at least there was that. Leave it to the child to miss what big trouble they were in, especially if they couldn't find…no; they WERE going to find a way out of this…but until they did, Kim wasn't going to object to anything that kept Zoe preoccupied.

Abby returned with who Kim expected was Questar, the leader of the Valorians, a career military man by the looks of him but…wow…for some reason, all she could think of was a young Sam Elliot only blonde and without the mustache. Zoe bid him goodbye and ran off to join her friends.

"Welcome, Kim Possible," The man had a kind vibe and planted his palm over his heart in what Kim assumed was a greeting. "It is indeed a great pleasure to meet you."

"Uh…thank you…sir. I mean…thank you for taking in Abby and my daughter the way you did."

"Rest assured no thanks are necessary. In a strange way, I suppose, if any would be prepared to help you best, it would be the Valorians. I trust you're recovering?"

"As…as well as could be expected in light of the circumstances, thanks."

"Very good; if you'll excuse me, I need to go see to your accommodations but as soon as you're well, I'd appreciate it if you'd be willing to sit down with my staff and I to discuss…a course of action."

 _Course of action,_ Kim thought to herself. _Why don't I like the sound of that?_

Well, they'd only spoken for a few moments but…even without Abby's prior assurances, Kim couldn't sense that Questar met her or Zoe any harm but…the severity of their predicament was beginning to seriously sink in. She and her daughter and their bodyguard had traveled through time…and as far as she could tell, neither she nor Abby had any idea what brought them here…which meant that until they COULD figure it out…and even if they COULD duplicate whatever it was…they were stuck here…wherever "here" was. What's more, her wife, two other daughters, maybe even her infant son was…somewhere…for all she knew, her precious baby boy was out in this Godforsaken wilderness with these monsters and…and…God, it felt some someone had reached inside her chest and crushed her heart!

"Kim? Kim…OH…Kim, look at me!" Kim felt Abby's strong hands grab Kim's shoulders and turn her towards the older woman. "Kim…the three of us are the only ones here, okay? The Valorians…they've scanned the entire planet and you, me and Zoe are the only here, okay? Nicky and Brady and everyone else were downstairs and…I don't think they got sucked up in whatever got us; and Shego and the others…I can't imagine a worse place than being here. They're safe. I can feel it! Now, I don't know how…yet…but I swear to you that I will get us back to our own time. Until then…I guess this is STILL a vacation…sort of. I mean…I know you packed for a temperate zone but…"

"I…I just…need…I need to process this. I…need to think."

"Do…you want me to find a nurse? Give you a sedative?"

Kim couldn't recall what exactly she said but Abby walked away and…things started getting fuzzy and…and…

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"I AM SURROUNDED BY INCOMPETENTS!"

Supreme Emperor Krulos felt the console crumble beneath the weight of his fist, his biometric armor preventing even a speck of pain. He WAS surrounded by incompetents! It wasn't enough that his generals continually failed to wipe out those filthy Valorians and obtain the precious STEP crystal that would allow him to return to his Rulon Empire and complete his work. It had been over a year and even WITH the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Rulons and Valorians had only managed to fight each other to a stalemate. But just when he was positive his subordinates couldn't sink any lower, they somehow manage to surpass it.

The energy surges had been easily picked up by Krok's Snapper technicians. They hadn't seen power like that since being drawn through time to this backwater planet and for the briefest of moments, Krulos had thought that they had finally discovered a path back to his fleet and the blessed end of the Valorian filth in the galaxy…and if those idiots had been faster to react, they could've gotten to the first occurrence before it dissipated. When they picked up the second, luckily much closer to their territory…and those incompetent tadpoles are bested by the Valorians AGAIN!

"Our most sincere apologies, Lord Krulos," Rasp hissed, narrowly dodging a piece of the console, "But…the Valorians…they…they knew…"

"NO EXCUSES," Krulos snatched up another piece of the console and hurled it in the subordinate's direction. "You will fix this or so help me, I will feed every last one of you to the Tyrannosaurus Rex! NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Krulos gave a might heave and the chunk of metal smashed against the wall and skidded across the floor, coming a halt at the feet of General Krok.

"My most humble apologies for interrupting, Lord Krulos, but I may have some good news."

Krulos let out a growl and motioned his general forward.

"Since the first energy surge occurred, my technicians have been analyzing what data we could they've discovered something," Krok held out a data pad. "The energy is indeed the same that brought us here. The interesting thing, however, is that this energy doesn't contain any technological traces that we can identify. The truly remarkable thing is that the traces the energy DOES contain…are human."

Did Krok just say…? Krulos turned his chair to give the Rulon his full attention. "Krok, I am not in a pleasant mood. Choose your next words very carefully."

"I assure you, Excellency, it is far from my intention to waste your time. I spoke true. As far as my scientists can tell, this energy field was generated using a human being and not a Valorian…at least…not one that we've ever seen before. If we could recover the human…use it…"

Indeed. What had brought them here had been a fluke, a chance so infinitesimal that even the most reckless Sharkurr would never have taken the odds…but if Krulos were able to harness time itself as a weapon? Questar would never knew what hit him…literally…but this revelation only highlighted Hammerhead and Rasp's further failures. Whatever it was that came through that energy field was now in the hands of the Valorians.

"I see that you comprehend the situation we now find ourselves in," Krok continued, taking back the data pad. Hey pressed a few keys and returned it to Krulos. "I am pleased to say that my scientists have prepared for just such an eventuality. I think now is the perfect opportunity for a field test…with your permission, of course."

"Brilliant, Krok. Brilliant!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"May I join you?"

Kim jumped as if she'd been in a deep sleep. She'd been staring out the window again. Kim turned to see Zei, the elderly advisor who had already agreed to put Abby and Zoe up and had been more than willing to find a place for Kim as well. From the moment Kim met him, the elderly blind man seemed just to have one of those personas that seemed to put you at ease, a lot like Grandpa Possible…at least what she could remember of him. Kim nodded…and then realized how idiotic it was to nod to a blind man.

"Uh…please; feel free." Zei took the seat across from her. "I…uh…I don't think I ever said thank you, for taking my daughter in, I mean."

"Ah, no thanks are necessary. She's a wonderful child, so much like my granddaughter at that age."

As soon as Kim had felt well enough to leave the infirmary, the first person Abby introduced her to had been Serena. Much like her grandfather, Serena had been very welcoming. Though she was still trying to understand everything, Abby had explained that not only Serena but all of the Valorians were meta-humans to a certain degree. Those strange pendants nearly everyone…including Abby now…wore had something to do with bringing out the meta DNA in them. Serena and her grandfather, however, actually were naturally born metas which meant that the necklaces…supercharged their abilities…or something like that. To be honest, hardly any work…at least none that was public…had been done in this area and even her wife kept stumbling through it.

"Well…we tried to raise her right," Kim sighed. She looked out the window and down at one of the pens containing…some kind of dinosaurs…and thought she saw Zoe. Even at this distance, the pale almost-green skin was a bit of a giveaway. "But somehow…I keep drawing them into idiotic predicament like this. I…I wanted this to be different this time. I kind of felt like…maybe I deserved for them to be different this time after…after my wife was nearly…after she was kidnapped."

"I recall," Zei answered in that saintly old way that so many of Kim's elder mentors had used. "Since your appearance, many of us have taken to the old archives and your family's adventures certainly do read like a storybook…and a mission debriefing on occasion. Serena's father led much the same life…though it cost him…cost him his life. Could I offer some advice?" Kim turned towards the old blind man. "My father, Serena's Great Grandfather Tiberius, always said that just because a thing seems difficult to you, do not think it impossible for you to accomplish."

Even in light of her worries, she couldn't help but see the humor in that. The parents named their child Tiberius…and he was a student of Roman History. Marcus Aurelius was a far cry from Tiberius but…Kim was suddenly glad that Shego had talked her into naming one of the girls Emily instead of Aurelia.

"I sense that you find it amusing," Zei smiled. "Many of us saw the humor in the whole thing as well. He was also quite fond of the saying that nothing happens to any man that he is not born by nature to bear."

"It's just…my family is being dragged into something that…they shouldn't be. I almost lost my daughter, Zoe's older sister, in a plane crash several months ago and…I had no idea that my baby girl was…that she came so close to…my brother and I were taken prisoner by a terrorist organization so…it's not like we could. Then…her mother…her mother was taken and…I almost couldn't come back from it. I mean…there's just so much darkness out there and…sometimes I just…I can't…"

Kim hadn't meant to spill her guts like that. Lately…her demons were fighting harder and once she let them in, it was harder to get them out. Dr. Abernathy had said that was normal, even for someone as seasoned as herself but…it still kept her up at night, holding her wife like she was afraid to let her go. When she COULD let Shego go, it always ended the same, with her in Gracie's doorway, just watching her eldest daughter sleep.

Kim held back a tear and looked at Zei to apologize…and found those pale white eyes staring right at her, seeming to burrow right into her soul like her wife's piercing green eyes did on so many occasions.

"Alas, you are right. There IS darkness in the world. Some of us…we spend our lives in it; but in hearing of your adventures, do you know what strikes me most?" He didn't wait for an answer. "While there is darkness, you also have an uncanny ability of attracting the light as much as the darkness. Abigail, your partner Ronald Stoppable, Nathan Ford and Leverage Incorporated, Wade and Minnie Load, even your wife; you managed to bring her OUT of the darkness without even meaning to; and look at what she has done in the process. Look at how many young people got an education and went on to better the lives…all because you gave her a reason to come back. In all the years that I have lived, even before I lost my eyes, never have I come across someone who saw such darkness…and made it so bright in her wake…and with so much more yet to come."

Even with a blind man, Kim could see that this time the elder had gone too far. "So much more yet to come"; that meant something. Kim had traveled…several million years at least…through time and had somehow found people that were several thousand years from the future, HER future. These people…or rather their records…had…her future. She could know…but Zei had already said that…she could…she could…this could be the answer to…

A million and one Back to the Future scenarios played through her head in that moment…which actually got her mind of the current situation. These people, at least two thousand years in the future, had records of at least most of her exploits…and Shego's school records and…Kim could know! She could find out…once and for all…if her family would…; and she'd seen that infernal movie enough times to know the consequences of that decision and…a cornucopia of other disturbing concepts, as Ron used to put it.

"Thank you, Zei. I…I think…I think I'm going to go for a walk and clear my head, see if I can find my daughter."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Questar watched the young woman march down the hall towards the lift, looking if not at ease…at least on her way.

Abigail had responded to the predicament they'd found themselves in with relative calmness and the child…in Questar's experience, children were walking STEP crystals that were near indestructible. Kim Possible…the poor woman appeared to be on a hair trigger. She had the look of a commando fresh off the trenches of Planet Elyas, like she'd crawled through the Seven Hells on her stomach…which for all Questar knew of the woman, she HAD. From what Abigail had volunteered, the poor soul had been struggling of late with the near loss of her wife and their daughter and the group had been taking a holiday in an attempt to ease her worries…and at least three of them wound up here with that Valorians.

Still, if there was anyone who could ease a troubled soldier's mind, it was Questar's old mentor…even without the connection between Zei and their new guests.

"How does she fare, old friend," Questar ducked into the room and placed a hand on Zei's shoulder.

"I sense a tremendous amount of pain for one so young," the old man sighed, keeping his eyes forward. "And it pains me to see her so. She insists on taking the weight of the world on her shoulders and when anyone is in danger, the poor girl looks at it as a personal failing. I've never seen someone thanklessly take on that kind of responsibility."

Questar couldn't really expect anything less. The Possible name was quite possibly the most distinguished in at least two millennia. Questar could still remember pouring over Commodore Artemis Possible's battle strategies at the Siege of the Elysium Nebula in 3122 and General Anderson Possible's assault on Titan Base; but even a few of this woman who they found among they company's stories were still talked about, particularly in the Special Operations branches. As a matter of fact, Questar could remember this very man going on for an entire class on old Global Justice files chronicling the story of his ancestor battling preventing planetary destruction at the hands of a terrorist…on numerous occasions, if Questar remembered correctly.

"What do we do about them, though?"

That was the tyrannosaurus in the room, to paraphrase an old Earth saying. No one in New Valoria would ever say that their guests had to be put out to fend for themselves, Questar least of all. Capable though they may have been in their own time…leaving them in the wild would've been akin to murder…and that was when you ignored the Rulons. The thought of little Zoe Possible in the hands of…Questar couldn't even bring himself to think about it. No; for as long as Questar had breath in his lungs, they would be under his protection and he WOULD protect them.

That didn't excuse, though, the danger that having them here, at least the Possibles. With their arrival in this time and the relative stalemate the armies now found themselves in, many of the Valorian scientists had been devoting themselves to the physics and ramifications of their situation. Questar was no scientist and he'd always been of the opinion that a first rate ship's captain trusted their subordinates to do their jobs. Turret and the rest of Engineering section felt safe in assuring him that the Valorians' presence on this planet, in this time, was far enough back that they didn't run a risk of damaging their own time. This…this was a game changer, however. Questar WASN'T a scientist but even he could see the danger not only in having a Possible in their camp…let alone a descendent of two of Questar's closest friends and advisors.

"I don't know that there is anything that we CAN do," Zei sighed. "All we can do is seek to ensure their survival and good health, protecting those in need if not to ensure our own survival."

Questar couldn't help but marvel, even after all these years, at his old friend and mentor. True, it had taken time for the full significance of their new friends' arrival to sink in. Whatever it was that had brought them here…Questar would be lying if he said a small part of him didn't hold out some small hope of returning to their own time. As peaceful a home as they had been able to construct for themselves, there wasn't a single crew member or passenger who hadn't had friends or family on one of the other ships, Questar included. His wife Ariana had passed away several years ago…but to see his daughters again…

Questar jumped and turned as Turret came bursting through the door, gasping for breath.

"Turret? What in the name of the Seven Gods is…"

"Its… _GASP…_ the girl," Turret choked out. "Zoe _…WHEESE…_ Possible; I _…_ think…I've found…something!"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _It seems ages since I was able to post last. My new job has been taking up a lot of my time and I kind of had a hard time ending this chapter. I've got a pretty clear idea of how this is going to play out now and I hope you like it._


	10. Chapter 10

The dinosaur…Zoe still couldn't even come close to pronouncing some of these names…gave an almost purring sound as she scratched its neck like the handler showed her. Whatever it was, this had a pet goldfish beat hands down. She couldn't wait to tell Em and Gracie! Em and Gracie…and Momma; where were they? Zoe could tell that Mom and Abby were trying to keep her mind off of everything but…Zoe had long since gotten used to things like this but…she couldn't really explain it. It was like…like Em was just out of sight. This took hinky to a whole new level. Zoe could spin around and point to exactly where Em should be…and nothing; but Em was SUPPOSED to be there. What's more, she could say that wherever her twin sis was, she was okay.

"Looks like you made a friend."

Zoe turned to face Mom. Grown-ups always thought that kids couldn't see or that they could keep it from them but Em and Zoe noticed right away that Mom had been going to the doctor for something…and Zoe had already seen Mom a bunch of times just standing in Zoe's doorway in the middle of night. Momma insisted that everything was fine but…right now, she'd want Zoe to protect Mom and she was sure going to do her best!

"She's real friendly, Mom. Wanna scratch her? I'll show you how."

Mom gave her a small smile and walked up to the pen. Zoe guided her hand to the right spot and showed her how to scratch her neck.

"Man, this is so freaky," Mom gasped. "It's like I just fell into a Jurassic Park movie."

"What's that?"

Mom let out a big laugh. "Man, I really am getting old! Thank you for that, kiddo; Jurassic Park is a movie from when your Mom was about your age, maybe a little younger, about this theme park that is filled with dinosaurs."

"Really? Did they travel through time too?"

"Not really; they tried to bring dinosaurs back to life using fossils and…it didn't go so well. I don't want to spoil the rest for you. We'll have to watch it when…when we get home." Mom took her hand away from the dinosaur and took Zoe's. "Zoe, sweetie, what do you remember about…about before you woke up here?"

Abby had asked her that same question…and she didn't remember that much. The last thing she could think of was Seamus tucking her and Em into their sleeping bags. They'd had hotdogs…that the grownups kept calling "bangers"…and they'd gotten to see Gracie perform…and that had been it…except for a few flashes but nothing that really seemed too important but…there was still that weird feeling she'd been having.

"What kind of feeling?"

"I don't know," Zoe sighed. "It's like I can almost see Em over my shoulder. I feel like I can point right at where she SHOULD be…but I'm pointing at nothing. I can sort of…tell what she's feeling too…Mom? What's wrong?"

Mom looked like…well…Zoe didn't really know how to describe it…kind of like she was disappointed about something.

"Oh…sure, sweetheart; I'm fine. It's just…I wish your Momma was here. We've got something we need to talk to you and your sister about."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Abby gazed at the massive oaken fortifications as she reigned in her Quazi…her Quetsi…damn it; if she wanted to learn to speak gibberish, she'd have learned French! The really annoying thing was that everyone around her seemed to be able to pronounce these names without a second thought. Regardless of their speaking abilities, though, the fortifications they'd been able to raise were breathtaking. The most interesting thing was that these walls seemed to have little to no…well…technology. They reminded her of a medieval fair they'd taken the kids to a few years ago. Technology and weapons that were at least a millennia ahead of the most advanced thing Abby had ever encountered and they surrounded themselves with something out of Robin Hood? Whatever their strategy…Abby certainly couldn't argue with the results they brought.

"I trust that everything meets with your approval?" Tagg, her guide, asked.

"Are you kidding? These would be impressive even in my time; and…by the way. Thanks for humoring me with this whole inspection. No reflection on your abilities but…Kim and Zoe are family and their safety is literally my job."

"Oh, no thanks necessary, Abigail Normal," Every Valorian Abby had met so far insisted on using her full name. It…was actually kind of cool, though she'd die before admitting it to Shego. It was kind of like she was on an away team with Captain Picard. "Often a fresh eye can offer insight and advice on a project, anyway."

Without warning, Abby…felt…a voice echo through her head; that crazy medallion.

 _Air support thinks they might have spotted a Rulon probing force. Proceed to the following coordinates._

Well…apart from keeping Kim and Zoe alive, Abby really wanted to make herself useful during this little excursion. Tagg looked towards her as if asking for permission…and Abby just gave a laugh and…okay, she didn't exactly "spur" her mount but they started moving forward, her hand sneaking down to her sidearm clipped to her seat. Now that Kim was at least somewhere safe…heh…she REALLY wanted to put this puppy to use!

The two set out at a brisk pace across the edge of the fortified walls. After a few minutes ride, the pair pulled up their mounts at a gap in the walls. Abby immediately slipped into investigative mode. Someone HAD been here, or rather several someones. The tracks seemed to head towards the gap in the wall, a thick pocket of foliage…and what looked like a swamp…and the river beyond that.

"They came through there?" Tagg grumbled, gazing in the same direction.

"Why is there a gap here?"

"Well, we couldn't complete this section because of the swampy soil and with the river on the other side, the Rulons wouldn't be able to mount an attack."

It was sound reasoning but the tracks definitely orginated from somewhere in that mire…and something about this seemed off. Abby took a look at the tracks. There were three distinct sets that seemed to lead into the hills…but seemed to start right at the edge of the mire…without any signs beyond. Ignoring for the time being that they had to cross the river, even in a swamp they would've left a trail. Something really stunk here and it wasn't the…

"SURPRISE, VALORIAN SCUM!"

With the reflexes of years of firearms training, Abby's blaster shot up as…what had to be a walking hammerhead shark descended on her. The blaster went off with a quick _zap_ and a red burst of energy sailed through the air and sliced into the attacker's shoulder. Abby felt the…attacker…collide into her and the blaster sail from her grip. With a loud _thud_ , the two hit the ground and began grappling for advantage, rolling across the muddy ground until the shark was on top. Driving her knee into…what WOULDV'VE been a sensitive area in other circumstances, Abby forced her attacker to topple over. Well…she wasn't helpless without a side-arm, even against some kind Dr. Moreau extra. Abby jumped to her feet and into a fighting stance, drawing the two KBAR knives sheathed in her boots.

"I DID have a craving for sushi, now that I think about it," Abby taunted.

The shark let out a snarl and lunged at her. The attacker seemed to be all brawn so Abby easily danced out of the way and delivered a slashing strike near the blaster wound and slammed her fist into the back of his head. The attacker toppled to the ground and…the opening was only for a moment but Abby hurled her right knife…and felt a sickening _crunch_ as the steel blade sunk into his spine.

That was one! The rest were…

… _POP…_

Something had stabbed her in the neck! Abby whirled around…and instantly spotted her blaster! She chanced a glance up and…there were a pair of Rulons in the trees, one lowering what looked like a tranquilizer gun.

"The job is done," One of them shouted. "Retreat!"

Before Abby could even react, the shark Rulon she'd THOUGHT had been brought down for the count jumped to its feet and nearly threw Abby to the ground again. She felt a stab of pain from where she'd been shot with…something…and felt a further jolt of pain as she landed squarely on top of her blaster. She let out a growl and darted after them.

"No," The sore spot on her chest flared as Tagg's arm caught her. "Don't. Something about this doesn't feel right. Quetzalcoatlai will drive them out from the air but…Abigail Normal, you've been hit."

Okay…she was starting to feel something now! "One of them…" Abby panted. Shel felt her knees begin to buckle. "One of them…shot me with…with…"

Everything went black.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"Heavenly Father, I beg you to still my troubled heart, calm my wayward mind. I seek only after you. Please…give me the guidance to reunite my family and help us through these troubled days. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost I pray. Amen."

Kim let out a small sigh as she opened her eyes and looked out at the small brook before her. Here…if not for the infernal humidity…she could almost imagine that she was back in Enniscorthy and Eme was about to tear out of cover and interrupt Kim's meditation session by pitching her redheaded wife into the creek…and if Shego were, my some miracle or answered prayer, to do it right now, Kim couldn't even bring herself to object. Hell, Kim would just pop back up and pull her emerald goddess in beside her and indecent exposure be damned, she'd see to it that Shego walked bowlegged for the rest of the day!

It had happened! Five years of hoping and…the twins had manifested meta-human abilities. She could still remember those days after their camping trip, discovering exactly how much Gracie took after her Momma. As proud as Kim was…both she and Shego lived in fear for months, fear that some government agency…even…Betty would've sooner cut off her own hand than do harm to Gracie but…Kim could hear it now. "In the name of national security," they would say; but…months turned in to a year and…nothing. They'd kept the secret from Betty…from Abby…even their own family; and that had been the end of it…until the twins approached the age...

…and now it had finally happened; and Shego was…well…if Kim, Abs, and Zoe had wound up here, logic only dictated that Shego, Gracie, and Emily were…in another time as well; though, please God let it be better than this, Victorian England if there was any justice; but…if she could ignore the predicament they were now in, the objective observer in her was fascinated by the supposed connection Zoe said she had. The girls had always been close, as twins were clichéd to be, but if their meta-human DNA had somehow affected that as well, given them a REAL connection…at least Kim could take solace in the fact that wherever…WHENever…they were, Zoe seemed ready to bet her life that they were safe; and if the twins' powers really DID have something to do with time travel, Kim would find a way to help her daughter get them home.

Kim turned as a dinosaur let out a bellow. In the meantime…she'd TRY to enjoy herself.

Even now, Kim couldn't help but feel a sense of smugness. Like nearly every red blooded American boy, Jim and Tim had certainly gone through a dinosaur phase and…they'd lose it if they ever found out where their big sister was right now; and…if Kim was being COMPLETELY honest with herself…she wouldn't be able to keep from rubbing their faces in it…just a little; and Eme…Eme'd be laughing her head off at the utter absurdity of their situation, traveling to the past and encountering people from the future. Kim couldn't help but wonder where Shego and Gracie had ended up. Renaissance Italy? Ancient Rome? Elizabethan England? Of course, if Gracie had her wish, they likely would've wound up in Jacobite Scotland or something.

Damn it; she needed a notebook! This was a novelist's dream! Well…okay, Michael Crichton already HAD done this but…civilizations winding up in the extreme past? Railer Taranis and the Feronia Syndicate could certainly find themselves in circumstances resembling this.

Kim hefted herself to her feet and began heading back towards the ship and her quarters. The Valorians were…amazingly friendly to say the least. Everyone offered a greeting as she passed as if she'd lived there all her life. Kim stopped short as a crowd of kids charged across her path…and caught a glimpse of Zoe in the group as well, looking like she'd just stepped off the playground with her friends. Everyone seemed to be carrying some form of netted sticks. Kim remembered hearing that the game was called Crosser, what Serena referred to as a combination of Lacrosse and Irish Hurling. All of the Possibles were natural athletes like their Mom…much as everyone seemed to go pale when the possibility of their Mom actually caring enough to COACH them…and Kim should've known that Zoe would've gravitated towards it.

Well…she may not be able to coach the girl but Zoe could likely use a cheering section. Kim followed the kids to the field and began observing. Lacrosse tended to be more of a "private school" sport but Kim had researched the sport for a paper she'd done in college on the Iroquois Nation so she understood the basics. Hurling on the other hand…Kim had done numerous missions in Ireland over the years and several of the contacts she'd developed over the years were Hurling fanatics. Over the years, Kim herself had become something of a Kilkenny GAA fan. Shego, the wonderful woman that she was, even surprised Kim with tickets to the 2009 All-Ireland Hurling championships as an anniversary gift.

Hurling seemed to be the core of Crosser. The field looked to be exactly the same with the goal posts and the nets. The first difference appeared to be the sticks. Upon a closer look, the sticks used had the traditional lacrosse net but on the other end was the traditional hatchet-shape of a hurling stick. The kids immediately started tossing a ball back and forth, catching it with the netted end like you would in lacrosse. Once it appeared that everyone had gotten warmed up…Kim was even more impressed by how the more experienced players used the net to lob the ball up for a teammate to take a swing at.

"Kim Possible," A Valorian woman called out from further down the fenced off area. "Welcome to the game. Please, come join us."

The group turned out to be parents of several of the kids, taking a break from their duties in the camp. Vector, the equivalent of a general contractor, and his wife Illia, the woman who invited her over, were watching their eldest son Rinan while Astrena and her wife Lupen were watching their youngest daughter Lani. Vector and Astrena had played Crosser professionally and in their spare time tried to organize teams among the teenage Valorians in the camp.

"Your daughter seems to be quite taken with the sport," Lupen smiled as she offered Kim a chilled glass of some kind of juice. "Though, I think, we should expect nothing less from a Possible.

Kim took the juice and sipped at it, tasting a bit like a naturally sweet cranberry juice. "Thank you," Kim replied, turning back towards the game. "Serena told me its roots go back to lacrosse and hurling?"

"Oh, indeed," Vector replied. "My coach would have is watch vids from ancient hurling matches before every practice…which we came to think of as the calm before the storm."

And for a few moments, at least, Kim was able to relax. She was standing with other parents while her daughter was at practice. Once everyone had gone through their motions, the youth began dividing themselves into teams, Zoe joining Vector and Illia's son. Vector explained that traditional Crosser had the same number of players as Hurling but the bare minimum that was needed for an actual game was six, a goaltender, two defenders, and three forwards, much like hockey. The two centers advanced towards the ball and crossed their sticks much like pick-up hockey…and they were off!

The center scooped up the ball and hurled it back towards Zoe. Kim quickly realized the need for the netted end. In hurling, snagging the ball with your hand was an integral part of the game, though there were a myriad of rules concerning what you could do once you caught it. Touching the ball in Crosser, though, was forbidden. Zoe darted up with a forward directly ahead of her and lobbed the ball into the girl's net. Kim watched as the players tossed the ball back and forth…and stared close to slack jawed as one of the players tossed the ball up out of their net, whirled the stick around like a quarterstaff, and smacked it with the hurling end towards the goal.

Gameplay moved relatively quickly, much like hurling, and Zoe's team was holding a four point lead thanks in no small part to the three goals totaling nine points. Her baby girl was indeed showing a talent for it. Vector was keeping track of time and called it after half an hour with Zoe's team winning 12 to 7. Zoe ran right for Kim and rapped her arms around her Mom.

"Did you see me, Mom? Did you see me score?

"Oh, sweetie, I did indeed! You were great!"

The teams returned to the field to shake hands, ever the good sports, and adjourned for the afternoon, most of them having lessons of one variety or another. Vector and Illia quickly pulled Kim and Zoe aside and invited them to the evening meal, which Zoe, the little charmer, was only too eager to spend more time with Rinan to practice more Crosser…

Everything seemed to go silent as those amulets the Valorians wore around their necks began glowing red. Abby had talked about them. Kim couldn't remember the exact name but…the way Abby described it, it was some kind of device that enabled some kind of telepathic communication…communication that Abby had speculated that extended even to the animals. Like everything else, it likely had to do with meta-human DNA. Ugh; yet another reminder. The good Lord could try a LITTLE subtlety.

Kim looked around the crowd and…the adults were beginning to look concerned. Kim's hands began snaking around her daughter protectively. Kim had yet to see any of these…Rulons…but the way that these people talked, Kim wasn't in any hurry. The Valorians had fought them to a stalemate but…if they were about to…or if they HAD mounted an attack…

"Mom? What's…"

"Rinan…take Zoe Possible to our chambers."

Rinan and Zoe were quickly shuffled off with the rest of the kids and herded towards the ship…and Kim had been on more than enough bases to recognize every able body going to battle stations.

"Kim Possible…you're going to be needed in the infirmary!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim felt the bottom fall out of her stomach as she gasped "What happened" while running alongside the floating gurney carrying her friend. Abby was…oh God; how could this happen? She'd been beginning to actually feel…and these people had tried so hard…

Abby had been inspecting the fortifications with one of the officers when a group of Rulons had tried to jump them at a swampy section near the river. All accounts said that Abby fought like a demon possessed until…they just left. She'd been on the verge of pursuing them when…when she just collapsed. A few of the witnesses to the event thought they saw one of the Rulons shooting at Abby but…thank God the medics who tended her hadn't found any bullet holes or laser burns.

"Kim Possible?" Kim turned to face Questar. "Kim Possible, I'm so sorry that this happened. I know how close you were to Abigail Normal."

"What…what did they do to her?"

"That's unclear as of this moment but we'll do everything within our power to help her. Alas…we DO have several thousand years of medicine," He smiled as he clapped her on the shoulder. "Who knows; she may end up healthier than when she first arrived. She will be fine."

Huh…the stoic base commander was using humor to cheer her up.

But as quick as it had appeared, the face morphed into one of absolute seriousness.

"If you please, Kim Possible, my staff and I would like your presence on the command deck."

Kim set out behind Questar and received an impromptu tour of the inner workings of the VAS Corino. God…if her wife were here, Shego would be making some crack about walking through the Millennium Falcon or something like that. God, she'd been letting her wife watch too much of those movies. After what seemed like a honeycomb of hallways and stairs, Kim emerged into…what she could only describe as the command deck of the USS Enterprise…which meant that Abby had been forcing Kim to watch EQUALLY too much Star Trek. A few of the faces were recognized, Serena for one. Kim was rapidly getting used to recognizing almost no one else and yet having her face be instantly recognizable.

"Kim Possible, this is Gunner, my chief defense officer, and Turret, my chief science officer," Questar gestured at each of the men. "For the past year, we've managed to hold the Rulons at bay, or at least to a stalemate. Thankfully, we haven't had to hold off a sizable attack in months. What happened this afternoon…makes absolutely no sense!"

The officers around the table proceeded to give Kim a crash course in her present enemy. While they may look like some DNAmy wild fantasy but they really were aliens in this case, from some planet that Kim couldn't even begin to pronounce. Their leader, this Emperor Krulos, was some kind of Megalomaniacal tyrant that was Hitler, Caligula, and Vlad the Impaler all rolled into one. From her albeit brief study of the enemy, he DID seem to share one of Hitler's most infamous weaknesses, namely that he took competition for his favor within the ranks to massive extremes. That was something the Valorians could certainly take advantage of…if they could ever work out how to get a spy in there.

But from what they told her, Questar was right. This little incursion made absolutely no sense. Krulos was arrogant to a fault…and yet a complete coward. He would never risk anything unless he was absolutely sure that he had the upper hand. There was always the possibility that some of his cronies were trying to curry favor by pulling something off but…there was NO clear motive towards this other than to just poke the bear. Unless…

"Do they know we're here?"

"Regrettably, I'm almost certain of it," Turret practically apologized, bringing an image up on a holo-projector. "I haven't seen energy levels like the ones that brought you here since our people left Cellardyke. Any with equipment like ours would've been able to detect it from within the solar system. I'd lay even credits that while Krulos may not know exactly who came out of those energy spheres but he knows that you're here; but…that does raise another issue, Kim Possible. I hadn't planned on making this revelation in such a way but…my technicians and I have been analyzing the data we recorded and…I must stress that whatever is said must remain within this room…but the energy signature of whatever it was that brought you here is identical to that generated by our STEP crystal…what brought us here in the first place. What's more…I've spoken with our medical officers and they are confident that those energy levels…emanated from Zoe Possible."

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Regrettably I haven't been able to find as much time to write as I would like but I'm finally making progress in sitting down and forcing myself to make time. I hope you like how the story is going. I'm really looking forward to getting to the Shego, Gracie, and Emily part. Both of these shows were some of my absolute favorites as a kid. I was recently on YouTube and stumbled upon another stroll down memory lane, Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic. Who knows? Maybe that will get a few chapters too._


	11. Chapter 11

Abby was engulfed in a sea of blackness so thick it seemed to seep into her pores. It was so thick she could practically feel it oozing across her bare skin. Where was she? What was happening? The last thing she could remember was…nothing. It was like she could see her memory, her essence, standing in front of her but…just out of reach. As soon as the thought entered her head, shimmering beams burst out in front of her, writhing like a mass of tentacles. Every time she reached out, tried to remember…anything…they would snake out of reach; but she couldn't give up! She had absolutely no idea why but that lone thought kept echoing, barely audible, like a mantra.

… _fight…fight…FIGHT…_

Ever so slowly, the room…or wherever the Hell she was…began being bathed in an eerie red glow; not a light but enough for her to at least attempt to make out her surroundings. She was…absolutely nowhere she recognized. The entire display was hazy, like some kind of half-formed ghost world…

She couldn't move! It felt like she was completely rooted to the floor, her legs encased in some kind of bizarre semi-solid mass that just as she was about to try to climb free hardened like a pair of cement shoes from a bad mafia movie that Shego…

SHEGO! Without even realizing it, for the briefest of moments, Abby seemed to make a firm grasp on a beam in front of her. Shego was her friend, her…her employer. She…she protected the woman and…and some other people…people who Abby felt…who Abby felt…deeply cared about. Her grip slipped away again before she could get any more but that had been enough! She had to hold on! She was GOING to hold on!

… _You…are…of…great…strength…_

Abby felt her spine begin to buckle and it took every ounce of will power not to cry out like a scared little girl standing face to face with the monster from under the bead. The voice, like something out of the deepest depths of her worst nightmares, seemed to echo through her skull while at the same time pummeling every inch of her.

… _Krulos…admires…strength…You…will…make…a…fine…servant…_

Abby just wanted to roll up into a ball and weep, beg the voice to leave her alone. The red glow began to solidify into some kind of staircase and at the top…OH GOD! She couldn't bring herself to look upon…her heart quivered at even mentioning the name. She just wanted the whole thing go away! She…she was going to die unless…

… _The…STEP…crystal…and…the…girl…will…be…brought…to…_

NO! For a brief moment, the voice seemed to black out, to cease to be, like some quiet buzz in the back of her neck. Her memory had latched on to her again; Kim…Zoe…Shego's wife…and her daughter! Abby…Abby had risked her life more times that she could count. She would die for those two…and this…THING…wanted to harm them!

Abby…would…NOT…break! Krulos…the word passed through her head without a second thought…it was Krulos on that dais. Krulos wanted her to take Zoe…he could do what he wanted to her! She would not break! She would NEVER harm Zoe…

As quickly as it had returned, her memory slipped away again.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim felt like she was going to throw up. The science officer's words were like a sledgehammer driven directly to her temple. Zoe and Emily…could control fucking time and space! And then, as if to make the whole big cluster fuck even worse, her and Shego's worst fear was realized! People KNEW! These people…these people needed to get back to their own time and…and Zoe…and Kim couldn't do anything about…Kim's eyes settled on her daughter, completely oblivious as to the danger the poor girl now found herself in; and Kim could find no way out.

Go one way and the Valorians would run experiment after experiment on her daughter, all in the name of some noble cause that…who was Kim kidding…that she didn't give a DAMN about. Go the center path and these…Rulon…monsters would do…God, they'd already done something to Abby. Go the last path and they simply had to deal with a planet full of creatures that looked at Kim as a snack. She…she knew…logically, she knew that the Valorians were by far the lesser threat but…in the blink of an eye, she'd gone from the relative contentment of a new environment and new friends to…DAMN! She knew it made no sense. She KNEW it; but she just couldn't help but suspect everybody. She just wouldn't…she didn't dare let Zoe out of her sight.

Kim wrapped her arm around her daughter as mother and daughter held each other close, gazing at their friend, lying motionless on the levitating hospital bed.

The doctors couldn't find a single thing wrong wither her! Several thousand years of medical advancements and Abby was still lying unconscious in a hospital bed! All they could say for certain was that she was alive and as strange as it sounded, they could say with absolute certainty that neither was she in a coma. Sure enough, as Kim studied her old friend through the window, she could see Abby's face contorting in an expression and her head gave a shake. The closest comparison Kim could come up with was that it looked like Abby was having some kind of nightmare and…was trapped in it.

"What's wrong with Abby?"

"She…we…we don't know, sweetie; but…these people can help her."

"Mom…what's wrong with me?"

The statement was like a slap across her face. Kim didn't even realize that her grip on Zoe's shoulder had tightened.

"Zoe…"

"Mom, please," Zoe's eyes, so much like her mother's piercing green, just seemed to burrow into Kim like a gopher through soil. "I…I see the way you look at me now. I may be ten but I still know you and Momma don't want us kids to worry about something. What aren't you telling me?"

Kim's ears perked up at the sound of the _clack clack_ of Valorian works boots on the metal floor and turned to see Serena approaching. Serena…Kim didn't even know where to begin with that woman. Kim's insecurities…her paranoia at the safety of her daughter…the as yet unknown status of her wife and OTHER daughters…all of them went out the window when faced with Serena. She couldn't explain it. Even before this little revelation, Kim could feel the Valorian hovering over Kim and Zoe like a mother hen, not at all like a guard or a prison warden, but whenever Kim asked about it, no one could give her a straight answer.

"Serena…could you keep an eye on Abby, let us know if anything changes?"

Strangest of all…Kim could swear that she recognized something in those eyes. If she wasn't so stress addled over everything…it almost looked like Shego.

The walk from the hospital observation room to their quarters felt like a marathon run on cobblestones. Entering the living quarters of their apartments, Kim was shocked by how utterly booming the silence was. This…was it? Kim told Zoe to sit and Kim took a stool opposite her. Why was she doing this? Why the HELL was she doing this without Shego? But Kim looked in those eyes…those same piercing green eyes that could bore through Kim's very essence and that her wife was all too willing to make use of. All Zoe did was look at her and…it was like being put under some kind of spell...

Damn it; the Almighty was going to drag her through the meat grinder with this!

"Sweetie…I…I don't exactly know where to begin. Momma and I…hadn't planned on…I mean…we'd HOPED that we'd never have to…"

Kim felt a tremor shoot through her as the little hand crept into hers and squeezed, radiating a reassurance was that so far beyond a girl of ten.

"Zoe Marie Possible…you are a smart, beautiful, funny young woman who is…special. Until recently…your Momma and I just didn't know how special. Let me ask you…do you remember our camping trip when you were little, the one where you and Em, Uncle Ron, RJ, and I all got trapped in that cave?" Zoe nodded. "Well…around that time Gracie also got very sick. Uncle Wade scanned her and…she was going through a change…sort of a growing up change like Momma and I talked to you and Emily about. Anyway…she changed and…became…different."

God…she could only imagine how idiotic this sounded to strange ears. From the moment Gracie's meta human abilities had developed, that had been exclusively Shego's prerogative. Kim didn't like to admit when she was out of her element but…a twelve year old girl developing superpowers was…Hell, that was RON'S element more than Shego's. HE would be perfectly comfortable waking up one morning and having to teach RJ how to be some kind of Fearless Ferret.

"I…am only beginning to understand it myself, even after so long but…Zoe, your Mom can throw plasma because that comet gave her and your uncles superpowers. Your Uncle Hego is super strong. Your Uncle Meego can shrink…and you get the point. They can do that because that comet changed their DNA. Has your teacher talked about that in Science class yet?"

"Yeah…sort of; it's in people and…you get it from your parents."

"Yes. Well…the comet changed your Momma and gave her powers…and her DNA gave them to Gracie," Kim could see the gears turning in Zoe's head and then clicking into place. "Your older sister can heal people. I'd broken my ankle in the cave and shortly after getting home, your sister healed me. She's healed Abby, Joss, a lot of people but…you and Em were so little at the time that we couldn't tell you…or anyone else for that matter. Abby, Aunt Betty, even your grandparents don't know…and…I think that's why you and Emily got sick. I think that's what brought us here."

"I…I made us travel through time?"

"Sweetie…I don't know. There are thousands of factors that could've…"

"No," The statement was so absolute that it took a few moments for it to even register. "Mom…I can feel them, Momma and Gracie! It…it used to be only Emily…like I told you…but I can feel them! Momma is…far away but…Em and Gracie are here, right here! Mom…this feels…so cool!"

Kim…just couldn't understand it. She should be borderline catatonic. At least, if Kim was in that position, that's what SHE would feel like; but if you were to look at Zoe Possible? Ever since the twins' first grade trip to the Middleton Space Center, Zoe's favorite place in the world had been the planetarium, a lot like her grandfather in that regard. The look she'd get on her face during a show…the only way to describe it was like she was getting high on the experience…and the kid had the same look on her face now. Her daughter looked like she was on the brink of utter nirvana.

"Sweetie…I don't think you understand. I'm telling you this because I love you so much and your Momma and I don't want anything to happen to you. These powers…whatever they are…are something that I don't know anything about. Only your Momma can help you and…and she's…"

Kim felt the smaller hand snake into hers and squeeze reassuringly. "She's okay, Mom. They all are. I KNOW it; and Abby's going to be okay too. If…if I got us here, then I'LL be the one to get us out! Just call me…uh…MADDI McFly!"

M…Maddi McFly? Her daughter was…Maddi McFly? That was…that was one of the most…all of the stress that had been bottling up just seemed to seep out of her body through her feet. She yanked her daughter forward and pulled her into a massive bear hug. This was…this was Shego in all of her splendor. Apart from the pale skin and ebony hair, everyone always said that Zoe was a dead ringer for her Mom; absolutely a dead ringer for Kim at that age; but in that moment, Kim Possible could only see her wife in the glorious little girl that stood before her. Damn it; she could feel her eyes starting to…

Kim choked back a tear. "Thank you sweetie…so much!"

"Hey, I pay attention during family movie night! I mean, traveling through time seems a lot more fun when you do it in a spankin' car instead of a goofy blue phone booth."

God…THAT was the straw that broke the camel's back. Kim just let loose with a mixture tears and laughter, only motivating her to hug her daughter tighter! Her daughter…ALL of her daughters…were…were…just simply beyond compare, beyond description; they…God; the only thing she could think of was "They are becoming far greater Jedi than I". Eme; it always came back to Eme! She was the rock, the keystone, the center around which the whole family revolved…and in that moment, Kim could only thank the Almighty for…everything.

… _and for giving you a kick in the keister for the way you've been acting lately…_

But…where had that…

… _don't give me that, Princess…these people took you in…what…are they Doctor Dementor, trying to concoct some kind of lunatic experiment…_

Shego's words…and they WERE Shego's…were clear as…

… _you get into that office right this second and accept these people's help…_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Questar let out a groan, rubbing his temples. His head felt like it'd been beaten several times with the blunt end of an axe and only THEN had the sharp end brought the killing blow. Zoe Possible's meta-human abilities brought her here! Of every conceivable explanation for members of one of the most distinguished families in the last 3000 years showing up here in…whatever period they were in, they still had no idea…it had to be this disaster? The moment Turret's revelation was made…Questar couldn't explain it…his eyes immediately found Kim Possible's and…and he SAW! He SAW the fear in her eyes…and he felt sick!

The history of meta-humans was…difficult to say the least. A more apt description, in his opinion, would've been…bloody…grotesque…horrific…just to name a few. The old United States that these women had come from had been…better…than most but every old nation from that time had black marks. With a few noted exceptions, Metas were treated like lab rats…no; lab rats received far better treatment. Things didn't really change until the Antwerp Accords of 2983, after Andrew Possible proved conclusively that meta-human DNA, whether active or inactive, was in all humans and had created the first AMP medallion, thereby creating enough leverage to ensure world rights for active metas. The behavior back then…for any decent person it was enough to make you vomit, even several millennia afterwards. As a younger man, Questar had viewed old Earth vids and graphic stories written by a great prophet, Stanlee or something like that, that seemed to foretell exactly that outcome and…how? How could humanity let something so horrible…so sickeningly grotesque…happen?

"Questar?"

Turret's voice jarred Questar out of his internal musings and back to reality.

"Questar…how do we handle this? What do we do about…"

Questar turned a steely gaze on his subordinate. He knew exactly what the next word out of his mouth was going to be. "Them". What were they going to do about THEM? "Turret…you've been a trustworthy and loyal friend and subordinate since you were first assigned to my command. We've endured numerous trials together and…when I looked into Kim Possible's eyes after your discovery. The fear in those eyes…it chilled me to my soul. Think about the world that that poor woman came from, the inception of one of the darkest periods in human history. You revealed to a room full of people that haven pulled out of time…that her daughter is their one way ticket back home!"

Questar could see the wheels turning in Turret's head…and the inevitable conclusion that was to be reached. "Questar, I…I never meant that…I mean…NEVER would I suggest that…"

"I know, old friend. I know; but in answer to your unspoken question, the only thing we can do is…help them, get them back home! We will do anything in our power to ensure their survival and if ANYONE breaths a word about going back…the consequences will be severe to say the least!"

With a crash, the door slammed open and Kim Possible marched into the laboratory, face a mixture of iron-willed determination and…a crack of nerves, one side almost a perfect complement to the other.

Well…he hadn't intended to do speak to her right this second but…now was probably as good a time as any.

"Kim Possible…I…we…" Turret tried to get out before Questar could begin. It was an ancient cliché but for a scientist, Turret had a first rate grasp of social interaction. The poor fool was likely trying to apologize for something he bore absolutely no responsibility for.

"Would you please sit, Kim Possible?"

"I'll stand, thank you," She replied crisply. "There's something I feel we need to make VERY clear."

"I feel the same way," This was…difficult to say the least. Questar had evaded Rulon stinger squadrons in nothing but a snub fighter through mine fields that weren't near as delicated as the metaphorical mine field he now found himself in. "Kim Possible…I feel as though my people owe you an apology. The…revelation…about your daughter could've certainly come at a better time…and given where you came from, we should've had more care."

"Just what the Hell is that supposed to mean, 'where I came from'?"

And Questar should've known FAR better than to step on the first mine! "I…you…you must understand the position my people find ourselves in…faced with three beings from the past. Telling you too much about our history…or rather your future…would be a danger to us and to everything that we know. Suffice to say that meta-humans have a very difficult future ahead of them. Not within your lifetime but…I suppose the best analogy would be the experiments conducted during the Old Earth Holocaust against the Jews…only trying to refine metas into…anything, power supplies, weapons. A century of children snatched from their parents in the dead of night…and experimented on…all in the name of security…safety…progress!"

"Kim Possible…I beg your forgiveness," Turret interjected. "If I ever gave the impression that I would…that…that ANY Valorian would ever take your daughter from you…I am so sorry!"

Kim Possible just stood there, studying the two men, like strange dogs.

"Why should I believe any of this?"

Blast it; if Questar was in the woman's position, he'd be voicing exactly the same valid concern, which made it all the more frustrating. He'd viewed the vids from their databases. Kim Possible wouldn't be one to just believe something she was told. As much as he hated to do it…especially without Serena's permission…there was only one thing that he could offer her.

"I…there's something else," He replied as calmly as he could manage. "In all my years in the military, I've long since stopped believing in coincidence. However…I can see no other explanation. When we first recovered Abigail Normal and your daughter, your daughtr's blood sample showed an…anomaly. East strand of meta-human DNA is very distinctive, much like mitochondrial DNA. When scientists discovered what to look for, every Valorian can trace their ancestry as far back as blood samples were recorded…and…"

"Wait…are…are you saying…?"

Questar had to fight from gasping in relief! She…she must've already suspected…SOMETHING! Serena would never have brought it up but…if even half of the stories about this woman were true, she HAD to see it.

"Kim Possible…Serena's family name is one of the oldest in recorded history, reliably dating back several centuries into Old Earth's history. She is a direct descendent of Andew Possible who was a descendent of Grace Possible…and of…

… _RRIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGG….RRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG…_

Three heads whipped around in sync as the warning siren began sounding…

 _ABIGAIL NORMAL HAS ESCAPED!_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shards of glass crunched under Kim's boots as she skidded to a halt outside the medical bay…and her heart seemed to leap into her throat at the sight of Serena being tended by medics. Serena…her…her granddaughter…several times removed; before she could even think of stopping herself, her maternal instincts kicked into overdrive and she began checking the woman who couldn't have been more than 10 years her junior as if she were a 7 year old who'd just skinned her knee.

She knew it! She KNEW it! That look…those eyes…those eyes WERE Shego's! Serena WAS a…a…

"What happened?" Questar gasped as he and his science officer skidded to a halt on the glass strewn floor.

"I…don't know," Serena groaned as the medics tended a cut on her forehead. "It all happened so fast. One minute she was unconscious and the next…the next thing I knew, she was hammering on the glass…like she was trying to escape something! I tried to stop her…when she broke through the glass but…"

"Shhhhh," Kim brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face. "Don't stress yourself. Let them do their job."

"Questar…she…eyes were…red…brain…boxed…"

"She's going into shock," One of the medics grunted. "I think she has a concussion. We need to move!"

The other medic ushered Kim out of the way as nother medical team appeared with a gurney. Red eyes? "Brain boxed"? She wasn't even going to try to understand but…a concussion…and NO; this wasn't Gracie! This wasn't Auckland!

"What the Hell does that mean, 'brain boxed'…?" Kim whirled on Questar. The rest of Kim's words died on her throat. Questar and his science officer looked as if someone had just stepped over their graves. "Hello? Anybody in there?"

Questar let out a deep breath…and hammered his fist against the wall!

"We don't have much time!" Turret breathed.

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Man, it's taken me a while to get this far. Difficult finding time to write but it feels good to be doing it again._

 _What is happening inside Abby's mind? Will Kim be able to trust the Valorians enough to let them help Zoe with her powers? Find out next time…same Kim-time…same Kim-channel._


	12. Chapter 12

She had to get it! She couldn't even think of failing or…or Krulos would…! Abby still found herself in much the same position she had been before. It was the strangest feeling, though. Her legs were still encased in that strange semi-solid mass but she had this bizarre feeling that she was still moving, in fact running. Stranger still…the lights before her were constantly changing. She still found herself in some kind of…environment…for lack of a better term but…so many images kept forming…and often reshaping into something else after only the briefest of glances; and as the images changed, so did her thoughts, as if her will itself were driving the display before her.

… _STEP…power crystal…_

Those words beat her body like a club. She had to find the power crystal and lay it at Krulos's feet! It was the only way to make it stop, the only way to make the fear go away. She was going to take the crystal and get it to Krulos or…God, she COULDN'T think like that! Failing meant…

The outside world was a far different picture. The entire ship had come to life in an attempt to find the hysterical woman…but woe to any that dared get in her path. Fear, after all, could be a powerful motivator.

Abby rounded a corner, coming face to face with a pair of Techs. Tensing up, Abby brought her knee up into the gut of the one on the right and, using the momentum, hurled the body against his partner, sending them both into the wall. Abby barely spared them a second though as she took off down the hall towards an objective that only she knew.

She couldn't fail! She WOULD get the STEP to Krulos! She would get him the crystal and…

Without warning, the glowing mass in front of her began hammering itself against what appeared to be an invisible barrier, fighting like a raging river against a mountain, coming so close but always being brought up just short. With every thrust, every drive, the mass seemed to grow. By now it had to be at least twice the size as when she'd started…but still the barrier seemed to hold it back. With every thought, every order to take…

… _ZOE! NO! SHE'D DIE BEFORE…_

The glowing mass seemed to creep around the barrier attempting to grab…

… _THESE BASTARDS WOULD PAY…_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"What is happening?" Krulos bellowed as he hammered his fist against the arm of the command chair.

Victory was within his grasp. Once and for all, the Valorian Scum would be crushed under the might of his glorious empire and he would return to his armada and rule the galaxy…SO WHY WASN'T IT WORKING? Krulos had witnessed the brain box crumple the will of even the most hardened and dedicated soldier and turn them into a loyal pawn. While he seldom offered praise, he had to admit that Crocodilius's technicians had out-done themselves in the initial stages. While the brain box had proven time and again to be a valued tool against his enemies, particularly in their current circumstances, it did have its limitations, namely that it was obvious to even the most blind observer what the wearer was wearing; but injecting the microscopic nano-bots into the body was sheer genius, albeit genius in its early form, as Crocodilius insisted. Using the same cerebral manipulation impulses, the brain bots a Crocodilius called them used an induced level of fear to suppress and contain the wearer's…or subject's…free will so that their body could be manipulated for its purposes.

Initial reports from this "field test" were extraordinary. This "Abigail Normal" wasn't even a Valorian but something far older in their genetic line. She wasn't the source of the power that brought them here but…she was the guardian to a family of what had to be Valorians of some kind, at least one of them appeared to be. In a way…this was utterly fascinating. Through some sort of bio-engineering, a Valorian female had managed to conceive with a female of…whatever these beings were…and produce offspring. The Valorian had been sent to some other place in time, much to Krulos's frustration, but the child was what interested him for the moment. The energy generated hadn't come from Abigail Normal or the…something…that had come with them…which left the child. The power to bend and manipulate time and space at will and return to his Empire was appealing enough…but Krulos saw so much more. He saw the Valorian's genetics coursing through the veins of the child. He saw an entire army able to burn to cinders whatever stood in its way…IF HIS ENTIRE COMMAND STAFF WEREN'T COMPLETELY INCOMPETANT!

Every blasted time that Krulos even thought of commanding this Abigail Normal to go after the child…it was like hurling a grain of sand against a mountain. Her will fought back like an unboxed Tyrannosaur.

"Why isn't this working?" Krulos growled as his other hand tightened around Crocodilius's throat.

"I… _gasp_ … _cough_ …don't know… _wheeze_ …Lord Krulos. Her _…cough_ …will is stronger… _gasp…_ than I have…ever seen… _cough_ …! She _…wheeze_ …will not… _cough_ …harm that…human…child…"

Krulos let out a roar of frustration and hurled Crocodilius against the bulkhead. He would NOT be denied! That human child was the key to…not only defeating the Valorians but…anyone! Krulos could only imagine…a vast army capable of burning any who stood before it to cinders, every one of them at Krulos's command. He wouldn't be an Emperor…he would be a GOD!

"I beg your pardon, Lord Krulos," Rasp quietly approached Krulos's command chair. "But perhaps Crocodilius's utter failure can be turned into an asset!"

"Speak quickly, Rasp, or I will feed you to the Tyrannosaur!"

"Of course, Lord Krulos! I would never dream of wasting your time, Lord Krulos; but…the Valorians now know they have a traitor in their midst! They're confused and trying to detain her. If the human female cannot take the child for us, I propose an allout attack on the Valorian encampment. We overwhelm them before they have a chance to fight back and TAKE what you need to rise to your rightful position as rule of the universe!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim ran down the hallways like her life depended on it…or at least Abby's life. Brainboxed; mind control; whatever this gizmo was, it sounded a lot like a moodulator, especially the ones that Team Possible had come across when Kim was pregnant with the twins; but when the medics had brought her in, other than a very small puncture wound at the base of her neck, there wasn't anything "on" her that wasn't supposed to be. The way that Questar described it, this device looked more like a crude helment than one of those damned computer chips. Whatever they had done to Abby…with the kind of processing power they were talking about and what the doctors had said so far…maybe she was channeling Wade…across several million years…but it had to be something to do with nanobots.

Kim rounded another corner and put on a fresh burst of speed. First, she had to stop Abby. Kim had faded in and out during the science officer's more technical explanations but the Rulons' likely target was the STEP crystal, the power source for their hyper drive engines that had accidentally transported them here; if this Krulos ever got his hands on it…that would be the end, not just for Questar and his friends but for all the other Valorian ships that had escaped the destruction of Cellardyke.

Kim rounded another corner and came to a skidding halt on the command deck. She instantly spotted Abby, naked as the day she was born, feet smeared with blood, and attempting to pry open the glass dome covering what had to be the STEP crystal. Damn it; they'd stripped off her boots when they'd admitted her and she had to be so out of her mind she didn't even feel the shards of glass digging into her bare feet when she made her escape.

By some miracle of strength and with a groan of metal giving way, Kim saw the two halves of the glass dome begin to give way. With barely a thought, Kim took off running and leapt into the air letting out a grunt as she collided with her friend. There was a sickening crunch as the momentum carried the two down the opposite side of the dome and onto the ground. Kim landed on her back and Abby rolled a few steps away. Kim shook her head a few times to clear away the checkers and stars in her eyes and climbed to her feet, preparing for an imminent attack from…someone she never expected.

"Abby," Kim breathed as the older woman got to her feet. "You've got to fight this! Krulos has injected you with…"

Kim's words died on her tongue as she got her first good look at her friend. Her eyes…really glowed. Kim couldn't help but be reminded of the Fremen, a desert people from Frank Herbert's Dune who's eyes glowed a bright blue. Abby's eyes were a glowing crimson…but even with the glow, she could see the look of utter fear and terror on her companion's face…and it tore at her heard. She looked as if the Devil himself was at her back with a pitchfork, threatening her with everything that she feared most. Kim winced again as she saw what had to be a dislocated shoulder and suddenly that _crunch_ from before came to mind. She hated thinking of Abs in that way…but at least that would make the fight easier.

"Abby," Kim breathed. "Abby, you've got to snap out of it. You've got to fight it!"

Whoever was pulling Abby's strings wasn't bothering to be subtle. Abby's face twitched and Kim brought her fist up to bock a wild haymaker, letting out a screeching yell that Kim could still hear the sobs behind.

"I can't…fail…" Abby gasped, spinning from the blocked blow and trying to deliver a smack to the back of Kim's head. Kim danced out of the way. She couldn't understand this. Abby was…well…saying she was better than this would've still fallen short. This elt more like a bar fight than anything else. "I…won't…can't…control…"

Kim ducked under an attempted blow and delivered a swift jab to Abby's gut, feeling the wind shoot out of her.

Then, like a switch being flipped, Abby spun around and swept her leg out, Kim barely managing to duck out of the way in time. Before Kim could even blink, Abs was back on her feet and delivering a punch. The fist glanced off Kim's shoulder…but connected enough to throw her back against the STEP chamber dome. Using all of her weight, she fell on Kim and began pressing her good arm on her opponent's wind pipe.

"I…can't fail…him…" Abby wailed, tears beginning to fall down her face. "I…can't…"

"ABBY?"

Kim felt her blood turn to ice as her head turned to see Zoe standing a few feet away. What was she doing here? Kim redoubled her efforts to pry Abby's arm off, her legs flailing wildly, trying desperately to kick her friend's legs out from under her.

"Zoe…" Kim croaked out. "Run…get…help…"

"Z…Zoe…?"

It was only a fraction. Kim couldn't even be sure if she'd really felt it but she felt the pressure on her neck lessen. Abby was going to make a grab for Zoe! Kim had to get free! She had to protect her daughter! She…Kim shot up so fast she should've been pressed down on a spring. She whirled back around, ready to lunge on top of the woman that she only hours ago trusted with her life and…

Things happened so fast that Kim still hadn't registered that in point of fact…Abby had completely released her. She looked down to the floor and saw…Abby…standing stock still…with the exception of her good hand, shaking like it had a current going through it. Well…no matter what Abby was currently doing, Kim wasn't about to take a chance on it.

"Get behind me, Sweetie," Kim gasped as she tried to wedge herself in front of Zoe.

"Mom…" Zoe kept pushing back. "Look…"

Kim looked up…and froze in her tracks. Abby looked…she couldn't even describe it. Her face was a mixture of sheer determination and…what had to be excruciating pain. What's more, Abby looked as if…Kim followed her friend's gaze…that tortured…yet determined gaze, as it settled squarely on Zoe.

Without warning, Abby's head gave a violent shake, as if VEHEMENTLY refusing to do something and…for the briefest of moments, the glowing in her eyes began to dim. Abby closed her eyes and…

"Kim…"

"Oh God, Abby! Abby, you've got to fight this! You're one of the strongest people I know! You can't let them win! You CAN'T let them do this to you!"

"I…I…Get…out…OF MY HEAD!" She gave a screech like a banshee and…

"AAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Abby stirred…and felt the sheer bliss of wiggling her toes! She…she was…she could…her limbs…her entire body felt like it'd been run over by a street paver and…as she tried to lift her head, THAT quickly became a regret. God, she hadn't had a hangover this bad since Seamus had talked everyone into trying Irish Car Bombs for Kim's birthday and…

… _KIM_ …

Like an avalanche into a snow covered valley, the memories…if you could call them that…came flooding back; regardless of how heavy her eyelids felt, Abby's eyes shot open, bathing everything in near blinding light. She was in a hospital room…onboard a ship…and her eyes fell on the younger redhead draped over Abby's legs, like a protective shield. It was…like some kind of terrible out of body experience but…Abby could remember everything, every blow, every…she…she almost killed…

Her eyes fell back on Kim as she began stirring. The redhead yawned and looked up…and Abby just felt the flood gates open. Kim pulled her into a motherly embrace and Abby just started sobbing into her shoulder. She…had nearly…killed…her best…friend! She could still feel the pressure and resistance on her arm! If she'd only pressed a little harder…

"I... _sob_ …I'm so… _gasp_ …sorry," Abby wailed into her friend's shoulder.

"Shhhhhh," Kim soothed, rubbing her back. "You didn't know what you were doing," Kim gave out a weak laugh. "Heh I guess you got your own personal taste of a moodulator, didn't you? Could've been worse, eh? You could've been forced to all in love with Ron."

Abby managed small giggle.

"I… _sniff…_ I want to go home, Kim!"

The words were out of her before she could stop herself! She…she wanted to go home! She wanted to hold her baby boy in her arms, to kiss her husband, to…she felt like…

"Easy, Abs," Kim continued. "Everything's going to be okay."

It took a few more minutes, albeit a few minutes that Kim was only too eager to give, but Abby managed to regain some degree of composure. Word was still coming in but it looked like no one was too badly injured, thank goodness. According to the Valorians' science officer, the Rulons had injected her with some kind of nanobots designed to take over her…Abby's heart jumped when she thought back…NO; no, she couldn't think of that now. At any rate, the science officer had managed to blast her with a concentrated EM pulse that had managed to destabilize whatever was in her long enough for the Valorians to get her back to an infirmary where they could sustain the field long enough to completely neutralize them without damaging anything else on the ship.

…so that just left the numbing pain in her right shoulder; when she'd asked about it, Kim dawned a rather sheepish grin.

"Well…you kind of got your hand caught in the cookie jar, so to speak. I…kind of had to dislocate your shoulder."

"Of course you did," Abby sighed. "At least whatever century these people come from has pretty good pain killers."

The two started trading jokes back and forth and…it almost felt like old times. Except for the floating hospital bed she was sitting in, the whole thing actually felt kind of like when Brady was born.

"Abby…I'm sorry but…Shego and I owe you an apology."

"Wha…come again?"

Kim's expression had slipped from sheepish to…outright gut-wrenching guilt, by the look of it.

"Listen…Shego and I have been keeping something from you and…its past time I told you, especially given the circumstances we're now in. Frankly, we should've told you a long time ago."

Okay…this wasn't exactly the line of conversation Abby had been expecting but…she'd seen that look in Kim's eyes before and…well…one learned quickly to accept the inevitable when dealing with one Kimberly Anne Possible.

Kim began…for some odd reason…with a camping trip the family had taken ages ago. She remembered passing on said trip, electing to visit Seamus back when he still lived in Thailand. She also recalled kicking herself afterwards upon finding out that Kim, Ron, RJ, and the twins had been trapped in a cave-in but…Kim and Shego HAD been a little…well…"odd" was the only word she could really use; but…she hadn't really had any cause to think anything more of it at the time. Kim and Shego never kept her in the dark about something she SHOULD know but…

"Gracie had come down with something before we set out so Shego stayed behind and…something happened to her. Wade had been scanning her via the Kimmunicator and he…found something. Abby…Gracie…is a lot more like her mother than anyone ever could've thought."

Wait…"more like"…Abby's eyes narrowed. Even before she'd been assigned to protect a very young and pregnant Kim Possible, every major law enforcement organization knew the name of Shego, the plasma wielding master criminal who stumped literally everyone, choosing to play second banana to a moron. When Abby had been thrown into the whole thing, she'd been so concerned with her job…and rightly so…that she'd never stopped to consider…and they'd had two more…was Kim saying…?

"Gracie…Gracie's a meta-human…isn't she?" Abby breathed, leaning back into the bed. "The twins are too!"

"Abby…I…I know we shouldn't have kept this from you! I'm so sorry! It's just that…things happened so fast and…and we were so scared someone would take her rom us and…and Mom and Daddy don't even know and…oh God; I can't believe we didn't…and you've done so much for us and…"

Kim's voice trailed off as Abby became lost in her own thoughts. Gracie was…a meta-human…had been one for close to…what…six years? And they hadn't told her; Abby felt like she should be furious about that…at the very least deeply hurt but…she wasn't. She could feel Brady in her arms right now, that warm little bundle of perfection with his head nestled against her breast…and the absolute knowledge that she would do absolutely anything and everything to protect him from all the evil in the world. She…she cringed at the thought of anyone trying to take her baby boy from her…and at the same time knew with absolute surety that anyone who dared try would face a wrath like a hurricane. She…Abby couldn't say that she would've acted any differently had the roles been reversed.

"Kim…I…I…understand," Abby gasped, clasping her friend's hand. "I don't…I don't know if I could've said that until recently but…I can't say that I would've…" There wasn't anything more to say. Abby squeezed Kim's hand reassuringly. "So…so Gracie's a meta-human. Does that mean that…do Shego and Gracie have a clay pigeon launcher in the woods where they launch plasma?"

Kim gave a light giggle. "Uh…no; not really; when DNAmy engineered those damned rings, she neutralized the genes containing Shego's plasma abilities but…well…ACCIDENTALLY left the reminder of the meta-human DNA intact. She…she can heal any inflicted wound. She's healed me, Shego, Joss…dozens of people over the years."

"And…and the twins can do the same?"

Kim gave a small nod.

"That…only happened a few days ago. Wade determined that going through puberty was when the whole thing manifests and…near as I can tell, the twins getting sick on that camping trip was actually their…let's call it 'awakening' if we're wanting to be poetic…and" Kim paused and gestured around the infirmary. "I guess it isn't too difficult to determine what their powers ar. The strange thing is that Zoe keeps insisting that she can 'feel' Em right next to her. My hunch is that we went here and they went…sometime else for lack of a better term."

God…Abby's head was beginning to spin and it wasn't from the meds or the injuries. The twins had traveled through time…had dragged them ALL through time…and Gracie was some kind of…Abby found herself considering passing on the meds and inquiring about what the Valorians had in the way of booze.

"Abby…I'm sorry…I know it's a lot to take in…can I get you anything?"

"Uh…unless you've got a fifth of Talisker on you," She gestured towards Kim's pocket. "I think I'm all set. I'd give anything for a stiff drink right now."

"Oh I've gone down that road before," Kim gave out…sort of a groan mixed with a chuckle and clapped the older woman on her good shoulder. "It'd take a lot more than a fifth."

"Boy, sure is exciting with you Possibles. Right when you think they've got it figured out, fate tosses something new their way."

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Sorry this chapter took this long. I just got really into writing the rough draft in my notebooks and sort of forgot to sit down and actually type the thing. lol The good news is that the next chapter should be up as soon as I type the whole thing up…and we should be on the verge of finding out what happened to the remaining Possible clan._


	13. Chapter 13

Serena let out a small breath as her eyes fluttered open. She…she was in the infirmary. She knew that much. Her memories were fuzzy but…the last thing she remembered was…well…the infirmary…but she was outside looking in at…Abigail Normal maybe? She'd been attacked by the Rulons and Serena had been observing her when…when…

She brought her hand up to her aching head. That had been the tremendous irony of her family's line. Their skills could heal almost anything inflicted on anyone…except for themselves. It was tremendously inconvenient being the only true healer in nearly 8000 people. Her hand came up and brushed against the healing gel cast on her forehead; a concussion likely as not. Nothing she hadn't endured before. She'd likely be on her feet in…

"You're awake!"

Her eyes swung around, turning the dull ache in her head into a stampeding diplodocus. As soon as her head stopped spinning and her eyes came into focus…on Kim Possible. She tried to push herself up but was quickly stopped by the redheaded woman.

"Good grief," The bedside manor the woman was exuding could only be described as…maternal. "You're as bad as your…well…I guess she'd be your grandmother as much as I am. At any rate, don't you go pushing yourself and making it worse. Honestly, I don't know where you people get it from."

…wait…

"What did you just say?"

The words had hit Serena like a load of armor plating. She knew! Kim Possible knew that… Serena's head began spinning anew, making the past few moments seem like a gentle stroll through the fields. The danger this posed was breathtaking! How could Questar…why…

Serena started trying to sit up at…at the very least.

"Kim Possible…I don't know how…I don't know why Questar would…you…what you know is dangerous…in ways that neither you nor I can even begin to conceive of and…"

"And I've got to be honest," Kim Possible stated firmly. "I don't really give two shakes for how dangerous it is for me to know anything or what a cornucopia of disturbing concepts time travel is. All I care about is that my…let's call you a Granddaughter…several times over…is in the hospital. I don't know what things are like for Valorians but for us old dinosaurs, a Grandma's place is right here, tending to her grandbaby."

… _Grandma…_

The word washed over her like a hot spring.

"The funny thing is…I'd suspected there was something strange about you. I don't expect anyone ever told you but…you have Shego's eyes, that same warm and welcoming look that…well…is one of the reason's I love her. That's rare and…I see it in you every time I look at you."

Serena didn't really know what to think. The scientist in her knew that she should be quaking with fear at the danger this could wreak on time itself but…she couldn't explain it. She was calm, content that everything would be okay, and the longer she was in the company of this woman, the better and more content she felt…almost as if…Serena could almost believe she were with another meta.

"Listen…I know there's probably a lot you can't tell me and I'm going to respect that. I promise. With everything that's been going on…I…I'm just…well…it's good to be around family, even if it is distant…er…VERY…distant family. So…Questar tells me you…you're descended from Gracie _?"_

Serena only nodded.

"That's actually kind of…reassuring," Kim Possible gave a light laugh. "My daughter's going through a little teenage relationship trouble and…this holiday was supposed to be about getting her over it."

Kim Possible proceeded to tell Serena the tale of Grace Possible. Upon discovering who their guests were, Serena, like most, had scoured the archives for every scrap of information on them. Grace Possible, like nearly everyone who bore the name of "Possible", had led an illustrious life, leaving aside her service in the fabled "Team Possible". An alumni of Old Earth's Julliard's School of Music, Grace Possible had graduated at the top of her class with her close friend Mary Stewart close behind. Becoming one of the Western world's preeminent musical artists, much as her parents, Grace Possible had also amassed a reputation for accomplishing all of that while at the same time managing to give birth to and raise seven children. Serena wasn't about to divulge THAT but…she had to admit that she found it utterly fascinating to see such a renowned woman in such a new and humanizing light, having her portrayed as a rambunctious teenager determined to make her mark at such a young age.

"I swear…that girl's done more in two years than I've done in twice that time. She survived a plane crash and…"

The siren cut off the woman's words like a sword!

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Questar had served proudly in the Cellardyke Navy against many faces. Since establishing their new home and the ensuing war with Krulos, he liked to thin that his senses were even more attuned to dangers faced by his troops. Despite it all, the siren still sent a jolt through his spine. With a burst of speed that ignored his fifty terran years, the commander of the Cellardyke forces in exile burst into the CIC and into a hive of activity. His command team's training had long ago prepared them for what was to come.

"How long ago did we pick them up?" Questar barked as he took his position.

"Rulon forces appeared on outer radar ninety seconds ago," One of the ratings reported almost immediately. "It's strong, sir! A lot of targets…and I make them to be at least a day out of the camp!"

"Why in the name of creation are they throwing this at us now?"

"Abigail Normal," Turret seemed to materialize at Questar's side. "This is the closest Krulos has ever come in recent months to actually taking the STEP crystal. Whatever it was that they'd used to take control of the poor woman…Krulos has to know by now that she failed. Krulos probably thinks that whatever he's done has still created enough confusion to just charge in and hope for the best."

Even in this tense environment, Questar couldn't help but be impressed by his friend and subordinate's analytical mind. The man was a genius not only in his own field of study but possessed a near perfect mind for strategy. Knowing his enemy the way he did, Questar found it entirely possible that his adversary would be that arrogant…and that stupid. Questar had always been a student of ancient Greek history and saw so many victims of Hubris all rolled into the dictator that was Krulos.

But they were preared! It'd been close to a terran year but Questar had ensured that should Krulos fall back into his habits, his people would be prepared to face any challenge. If that beast was counting on a weak and confused opponent, he would be SORELY mistaken.

As if to underscore that very point, Kim Possible burst into the room and waded into the foray.

"What's the sitch?" She gasped as if she'd run the entire way here.

"I regret to say that Krulos doesn't take failure all that well," Questar replied. "He's mounting an attack that should be here by sunrise. I advise that…"

"Where do you need me?"

The words were so unexpected that it had taken him a moment for them to register. Kim Possible was prepared for war. He shouldn't have been surprised given the woman's reputation but…Questar looked in those eyes, those shimmering green eyes, and he saw it, that look that he had seen in the eyes of so many under his command, in the eyes of so many that he'd served under, the look of someone supremely ready to face an enemy and put an end to them; more than that…Kim Possible looked as if she NEEDED to put an end to them. Putting he in the ranks was dangerous, in ways that Questar could only begin to comprehend but…there were few, even in his ranks, as skilled as she…and he knew the relationship between Kim Possible and Abigail Normal. More than just a bodyguard, the woman was like a sister to her. After what the poor woman went through, Questar could hardly blame the woman before him for succumbing to blood lust. Rulon blood could be sweeter than most.

"Kim Possible…I must stress the danger of what it is you're requesting," Questar gave her one last chance to back out…but the sheer steel in her eyes was a dead giveaway that she didn't want it. "But if you are determined, we'd be honored. Report to Gunner at the armory; he'll see to it that you're properly equipped."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

She was done being afraid! As if on cue, the warning siren awakened something within one Kimberly Anne Possible. She didn't…couldn't even begin to describe what it was she was feeling…but all she knew was that she was done running; sometimes it just seemed like the entire world wanted to cause her family pain…and she had been piling it on! She was letting the world use her family like puppets…just to mock her. Well, at this moment she could do something about it. She could strike back at something…and as God as her witness, the…creatures…who quite LITERALLY turned her friend into a puppet seemed to be as good a target as any.

Kim breathed a sigh of contentment as she fingered the trigger of the massive weapon mounted before her. Her new friend had the appearance of a minigun…but with barrels big enough to take out a chunk of brick wall along with whatever was behind it…for the next mile. The thing actually reminded her of something…the exact word escaped her…she'd come across when she and her friend Felix Renton had been sucked into an old Star Wars video game, exactly the kind of thing Eme would be salivating over grasping.

Kim…Kim was still trying to come to grips with the fact that, while holding this behemoth of a futuristic weapon, she was in fact atop a stegosaurus. Amazingly, she still found herself wishing that she had a notebook to write some of this down on. She could just imagine Railer Taranis atop a massive brachiosaurus, charging in against the forces of the Black Ribbon Cross.

She pulled her attention back to the situation. She chanced a look at her "driver", a rather impertinent youth by the name of Youngstar, the one who'd apparently led the party that picked Kim up shortly after she'd been dropped here…and she couldn't help but feel a liking to him. The pup was cocky as Hell but…that enthusiasm was just so intoxicating, sort of like the tweebs…

… _BOOOOOM…_

… _BOOOOOM…_

The impact tremors were coming much closer together now. Kim replayed the briefing over again in her head. Honestly, she'd expected to have to do a lot more convincing to convince Questar to include her in the defense but…he must've sensed the mood she was in so rather than go through the charade of "protecting her", he threw her in immediately. She really had to remember what she'd said the next time Eme got in one of her stubborn moods.

At any rate, Kim couldn't help but admire…though she should hardly be surprised by…the level of preparations the Valorians had managed to put in place. While her introduction had been a bit of a crash course, she'd quickly realized that they'd amassed an impressive set of defenses. Furthermore, in the span of nearly 18 hours, Questar had managed to raise a force of…well…she'd grown used to thinking in terms of interstellar ships…so you could probably call it a task force. The only standing order had been for all defenders to avoid harming any brain boxed dinosaurs. Given Abby's experiences, Kim's heart quaked at the thought of harming any creature in that condition, human or no. Youngstar had assured her, though, that the key was blasting off the brain box, a very manageable task given the size of the target and taking into account even the most remote skill with a firearm. With such enormous creatures, Kim could only think that the devices DID make splendid targets. Plus, it gave the added bonus of essentially starting a stampede in the middle of your enemy's army.

For those that did make it past the barricades and tar pits, that was why Kim found herself atop such a great creature, ensconced nicely out of sight in a copse of trees. The plan was actually quite simple. All along the valley, the only route they could possibly take to get to the ship, had been placed fighting forces like the one Kim found herself in, nicely camouflaged to blend in with the valley walls and ready to descend on the advancing army's flanks, slowly forcing them back. Diplodocus, stegosaurus, and everything in between; honestly, Kim had been part of many armies over the years but this one…there were really no words to describe it. All she could think about now…God, the look on Felix's face would be absolutely priceless.

The impact tremors quickly brought Kim back to reality. Whatever defenses the Valorians had erected must not have stopped everything, at least not if Krulos was as egotistical as everyone claimed. Hubris was one weakness that, if Kim was being perfectly honest with herself…felt REALLY good exploiting!

"Focus on the T-Rex," Youngstar's voice echoed in her headset. "That's Krulos's mount."

Kim made one last check of her weapon and powered it up.

… _THUMP…_

… _THUMP…_

This was it!

… _THUMP…_

… _THUMP…_

This was for Abby!

… _THUMP…_

… _THUMP…_

Even from her tree cover, Kim could make out the looming shapes silhouetted against the horizon, creatures in every shape, size and color…and that was only the dinosaurs. Kim finally got her first look at these Rulons; grotesque and warped animal faces atop armor clad bodies. Man, these things had faces that…no…not even DNAmy could love those things! Strange enough, though, was the fact that there seemed to be far more Rulons dismounted than mounted. Which…really shouldn't have surprised her. Dinosaurs likely took the place of tanks or APCs and the like. Knowing her allies' hatred for their enemy as she did…the whole arrangement probably suited them just fine.

"You know the drill, people," Youngstar barked through the comm system. "Shoot at the Rulon in front of you and you keep shooting until you taste his blood!"

The mass of creatures advanced on the compound like a flood, ever closer. They would pass right through this valley and when they did, the Valorians would flank them. They wouldn't even see it coming!

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Abigail Normal O'Sullivan tried to just bury herself in the mattress of her hospital bed, trying to just shut the outside world completely out. She'd had enough of this! She…she just wanted to be done!

She'd known exactly what that siren meant and she'd known exactly where Kim would be headed. You didn't protect someone for so long and remain oblivious to that for long. Abby had followed the woman into the gates of Hell hundreds of times, often simply trying to just get out ahead of her so the kid didn't end up getting herself killed. She'd done in unquestioningly, unflinchingly, no regrets…so why couldn't she move? WHY did the thought of what's out there turn her spine to jelly and just make her want to curl up into a ball and plead for it all to go away? Not once did she ever question her loyalty to Kim, Shego, and the Possible family…and in a way, she still didn't…but she clutched at the blankets around her like a protective shield. She couldn't face those…those…God, she couldn't even say the name without…without being back in that Hell they'd trapped her in, albeit temporarily.

Ever since Kim had left to go check on Serena…for the injuries ABBY had inflicted on her…she didn't WANT to remember but the images came flooding back to her, images and more importantly feelings. The ship's science officer had tried to provide her with some kind of scientific explanation for whatever they'd done to her, something involving nanobots, but all Abby knew was that she'd been afraid, more afraid than she'd ever been in her life, and those…things…had made her that way. That was all she could focus on…with what had to be an entire army advancing on her.

She…she just wanted to go home…and she HATED herself for it!

"Abby?"

Abby's breath caught in her throat as the small voice of Zoe Possible echoed in her ears. She didn't know what made her do it but Abby's hand shot into the child's as if she were holding on to a life ring. Every moment that Kim was out there…because Abby was to chicken shit cowardly to be out there with her…was like a knife to the heart…but at least here was someone that she COULD protect!

"Hey…kiddo," Abby breathed trying to sit up. Her head still hurt like a mother but nowhere near as bad as when she'd woken up. "How're you holding up?"

Whatever was going on…why did she kid herself when she knew damn well what was going on outside…shortly after the sirens sounded, people began filing into the infirmary, supposedly the most heavily shielded portion of the ship, making it a natural civil defense shelter for lack of a better term. Many of the adults looked to be assisting with medical operations…which given the casualties that a fight brought made considerable sense. At any rate, Abby hadn't even seen Zoe come in.

"Well…how're YOU holding up?" Zoe replied, squeezing the hand of the woman who'd been her nanny since before she could remember.

"Mom and Momma always try to put on a brave face too," Zoe breathed, scootching closer up the bed so she was lying next to Abby. "I know grown-ups think they have to be brave for us kids but…I wanna help you this time. I wanna make things okay. Just tell me what to do!"

It took every scrap of Abby's already fraying nerves to keep from bursting out in tears. She…she was supposed to protect this child, had risked her life numerous times for her without a single regret, and now…now her charge was trying to protect her? A flurry of memories flashed through Abby's mind, of getting up in the middle of the night to tend to a crying Zoe in the hopes that she could calm the child before she woke up her sister, of holding the video camera as the little tyke took her first steps in trying to get to Shego, of vacations, of doctor's visits, of church plays…and just like that, every ounce of will power Abby could muster…she could feel the levies begin to break and tears rolled down her cheeks.

…damn it…

…damn it…

"Zoe…"

Before Abby could get out another word, she felt the little girl she'd help raise wrap her arms around her nanny and protector, all the warmth and affection she'd shown the child over the years returned tenfold.

"It's going to be okay, Abby," She heard Zoe promise. "I won't let those monsters hurt you."

"Thank…you," Abby couldn't help but gasp as the tears continued to fal.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The whirr of the gatling gun was like the buzzing of a bee hive. Kim swiveled from target to target like some kind of pre-programmed robot. A clump of…snake people…were blown apart in a flurry of debris. A triceratops being driven by another snake had its brainbox shot off and was currently running wild among the ranks of soldiers. To an outside observer, the whole thing had to be an entirely bewildering sight, a beautiful weaving of past and future that even writers as skilled as the Bard would have trouble putting into words.

All that was missing was this Krulos atop the king of all dinosaurs. If the Valorians were indeed right about the character of this villain, he would've had to have been desperate enough…or stupid enough…to be squre at the head o this attack and the fact that he wasn't was making her kim-sense tingle. At the very least, a general should be seen observing his troops in battle… and when he was atop a T-rex, that would be pretty hard to miss.

Kim ducked as a laser blast pinged off the armor plating coating her big friend, and rotated her little pop gun to retaliate against the…Good Heaven! That thing looked like a walking ant.

The battle progressed for what seemed like hours. The forces had looked to be about even at the outset but the element of surprise could be quite useful when employed correctly…which the Valorians had indeed done. Although, if the numbers had been even by the time the Rulons had gotten to them, Kim didn't want to think about what the initial numbers had been. Whatever the numbers had been, Kim could feel the momentum begin to shift in their favor…but something still felt wrong.

"Something's not right," She heard Youngstar's voice crackle in her headset. "They've got no air cover and…Emperor Krulos wouldn't ever miss out on a fight like this!"

At least Kim wasn't the only one who felt it. She hadn't noticed at first but now that he'd pointed it out, Kim could see that the only "air support" had been those carrying Valorians…making the whole thing seem even stranger with the added absence of Krulos. This REALLY felt wrong all of a sudden. The force that the Rulons had mounted was definitely large enough that it couldn't be ignored…but what tactician sent an attacking force into battle with absolutely no air support; No one…unless the whole thing was a feint.

Questar was too good a commander to put all of his forces in one basket in a situation like this…and that she could remember, there weren't all that many ways into the valley, at least none that you could bring an army through…

…so where was their DAMN air support?

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Krulos gazed through the optical amplifier at the scene playing out across the valley. While he didn't like the idea of so many resources advancing without him to lead them, there'd been no denying the daring of Rasp's plan of attack. While the army kept the bulk of the Valorian force occupied on the front, Krulos would lead a group of flyers into the Valorian camp where the RULONS would have the true element of surprise and take the STEP crystal and that child right out from under Questar's nose.

Krulose turned his attention back to the task at hand. While he hated to pay credit, Krulos grudgingly admitted that the Valorians' radar capabilities were several steps above his own. Initially, it hadn't proven to be an issue, likely because their ship had been damaged, but in recent months…

But no matter how good they proved to be now, they did have one primary weakness, namely that they had a very noticeable weakness, namely that they had a very noticeable radar bottom. While flying that low made one very vulnerable to line of sight observations, it was quite possible to fly in underneath their radar and take them from above…provided they could be in and out fast enough.

"Amber flight," Krulos breathed into his headset. "Enact IMMOLATION!"

On that word 12 Ptyranodons and their riders dove upon the Valorian compound, hammering everything in sight with laser fire. It quickly became apparent that Questar had left enough of his force in reserve that this likely wasn't going to be as easy as Rasp had promised. Just as well. Krulos put on a predatory grin. He liked it when his prey fought back!

"Dagger flight…move in!"

Like a tidal wave, another twelve Ptyranodons dove on the Valorian compound, each one carrying three raiders, totaling a strike force of nearly 40 of his best directly at Questar's door.

Krulos's boots hit the ground with a dull thud and he sprang to his feet. Two Vipers were already attempting to secure a breaching charge to the door. The sorry scaled sacks; they had to move QUICKLY! Krulos barked an order and the two subordinates redoubled their efforts. There was a call to brace and charge sent a blast into the armored door, putting a man-sized hole in it.

"Move," Krulos barked. "Establish a perimeter and make your way to the command deck!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim felt her mouth go dry as she saw the Rulon party blow a massive hole in the blast doors.

How could she have been so stupid? How could she not have realized it from the beginning? The force the Rulons had sent HAD been a feint, too big to ignore but…DAMN IT; even the most rank strategist would'e seen the absence of air cover and known it for what it was. Youngstar reigned in their ride and Kim hefted the heavy weapon out of its mount and leapt to the ground, hardly noticing as an energy beam zapped across her shoulder. She turned to see another of those hammer head shark creatures with blasters leveled at her.

"My turn," She muttered, swinging up her massive mutli-barreled death machine…

… _BAMBAMBAM…_

… _BAMBAMBAM…_

… _BAMBAMBAM…_

A few small craters were all that remained of her target.

"We've got to stop them," Youngstar barked. "If Krulos get's his hand on the STEP crystal…"

The STEP crystal was about the farthest thing from her mind right now. If Krulos got his hands on Abby or…or Zoe…she didn't need the rookie officer to say it. She glanced up as a Rulon on a Ptyranodon sent a pair of BIG laser bolts…that thankfully sailed clear over them and into the ground; making their way inside, regardless of who they would be following, seemed to look better and better.

Without much discussion, Youngstar fell into line behind Kim as she mowed down anything in their path until it resembled only so much hamburger meat, picking up half a dozen Valorians on the ground in the process. It was strange, these advanced soldiers falling in behind someone seeral thousand years their junior but…Kim didn't have time to dwell on it. Kim barely even thought about the ridiculous crystal but…Abby and Zoe…she had to beat the Rulons!

 _You're done being afraid! You're going to make them PAY!_

At a gesture from one of the more seasoned soldiers in their party, Kim elected to ditch the gatling gun for…what looked like an honest to God A280 blaster rifle…and even here, she half cursed her wife for making her watch Empire Strikes Back so many times. Still, she did like the feel of the thing, a lot like the Belgian FNP90 sub-machine gun she'd used on a handful of occasions when things got hairy…and then only because Abby had insisted. Part of her…part of her REALLY wanted to see this little puppy in action.

"Where are they likely headed first?" Kim breathed as the squad rounded a corner. Control room?"

"That'd definitely be one place," Youngstar grunted. "I'd also send a party to defend the infirmary. Given how Abigail Normal failed him, I wouldn't put it past him to seek revenge."

That last bit jabbed at her. After a quick discussion, they agreed that they were about equal distance from both targets. By now, their party numbered over twenty so they split right down the middle, ten to the command deck and ten to the infirmary.

Kim's party moved down the bowels of the ship, up and down staircases, through service hatches, anything to shave a few minutes off of their ETA. As they moved, more Valorians joined them until, they'd at least doubled their numbers. As they moved, as much as she focused on protecting Abby and Zoe…Kim couldn't help but realize that it wasn't just those two in danger. It was husbands and wives, children, grandchildren. The thought of all those innocent people…at the hands of…

… _ZAP…_

Kim felt a jerk as someone yanked her back by her belt, just out of the way of a nearby laser blast, leaving a burnt scorch mark on the wall behind her.

"I'LL DRINK YOUR BLOOD, VALORIAN SCUM!"

"Then I hope you choke on it!" Kim snarled back, pressing her back to the wall. She turned to Youngstar and motioned down the hall. "The infirmary's down there?" Youngstar nodded. "Take six troopers and secure the other end. I don't want them getting in behind us," Kim barked as she aimed her rifle down the passage. "COVERING FIRE!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Abby cringed as another tremor went through the ship. God, she thought the fight was going on miles from here. By the feel of those impact tremors…they had to be coming from right outside the ship. What's more…Abby just had a terrible feeling. While her memory from when…well…she was beginning to remember…as much as she wished she didn't…but one name kept echoing through her head like…

… _Krulos…_

… _Krulos…_

… _KRULOS…_

He…was here! Whatever was going on outside…thank God Zoe was a heavy sleeper. Abby wrapped her arms around the little girl, holding her tight to her chest. She glanced down at the bedside table…and saw her old Heckler & Koch side-arms. Heh…old; only months ago, they had been HK's latest models and with her own personal modifications, there were no two deadlier pistols in the world if she did say so herself, at least in her hands. Compared with what she'd been using of late, though, they were nothing short of pop guns but…she freed one of her hands and pulled up one of the cold steel pieces of death from its black leather holster.

It felt like…God, it almost felt like she'd regrown a severed limb, like…she let out a slow breath. It felt like…regaining a sense of balance. She felt the Kevlar grips mold into her hand as if they had been made for her which…heh…it just so happens that they were! The custom grips had been a birthday present from Shego. Taking care not to wake up Zoe, Abby extricated her other hand and clasped the hammer.

… _click…click…_

The .40 caliber round being loaded into the chamber was like music, like Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

… _Krulos…_

… _Krulos…_

She…was not going to let Krulos take Zoe! She had no idea where that thought had come from. Why would…why did he want Zoe…but it didn't matter a damn! She…she was absolutely terrified but…her grip on the sidearm tightened. She would empty the entire clip into…

… _BOOOOOOM…_

The entire room shook as if God himself had grabbed ahold of the room and shook it! Abby's arm, hand still locked in a death grip on the pistol, whipped back to hold her charge even tighter. Whatever that was…it felt like it was just down the hall! They couldn't have breached the ship…could they?

She felt Zoe begin to stir.

"Sh…shhhhhh," Abby soothed, running her free hand down Zoe's back. "It's all okay, sweetie."

Without warning, a powdery blue light just seemed to engulf her! Had Abby not been holding her so tight, the shock likely would've thrown her out of the bed. Every inch of this little girl was covered with…the only thing Abby had ever seen that compared was Shego…generating a LOT of plasma. Was this…was Zoe about to use her…her meta-human abilities? That meant…Abby's blood froze in her veins. They were going to travel through time again! Zoe'd already sent them back…if they went even further…?

"Zoe! Zoe, snap out of it! You're going to…"

Zoe's eyes burst open, the same blue light shining in them.

"Stop…them."

The words came out in a single breath. Then, like a giant explosive force, the entire room vanished in a blast of blue energy. Abby could feel herself screaming but… it felt like…like she was back in…there was a roar of air that seemed to surround her…

And just as soon as it had begun, the noise ceased and the light vanished…

… _SLAM…_

Oh…God…she was seeing stars! It felt like someone had taken a giant slab of metal and just hammered…her entire back side…and that wasn't counting the mass of flesh that was Zoe that had landed on top of her. The wind rushed out of her but her eyes slowly began to clear. The control room; oh thank GOD in Heave, they were in the ship's control room! Zoe had only teleported them to the control room…

…the situation in front of her slowly began to register as she started gasping for breath. They WERE in the control room…but everyone had weapons drawn…and were firing across the room. Still gasping, she saw consoles blown apart, bodies strewn all over the ground, Valorian and Rulon alike. She heaved air back into her lungs and croaked out Zoe's name, trying to check her for injuries or at the very least keep her shielded. The little pre-teen had the luxury of landing squarely on top of Abby (which was probably what knocked the wind out of her in the first place) which looked like it had prevented any impact or injuries but…the kid began to stir…and her head jerked up like someone had yanked on her ponytail, fixing Abby with those glowing blue eyes.

"Can't…hold it…much…longer," The gasps were like whispers. "Get…the crystal."

It was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do in a situation like this but…the plan immediately dawned on her. Zoe…wanted her to get the STEP crystal so that she could teleport them all back to the infirmary. Abby released Zoe, taking care to at least make sure her charge was out of the line of fire, and looked over the edge of the chamber…and felt her stomach leap into her throat. There were a least ten Rulons that she could see in the chamber, a veritable Noah's Ark…if Noah's last name proved to be "Moreau"…of enemies…and the one who was without question in control. She'd never in her time here encountered more than half a dozen of these…things…but she knew this one's name as if she'd known it from birth…

… _KRULOS…_

This was…Abby felt a whole new wave of fear build in her, freezing her where she stood, as if it had turned her to stone. Then, as if thinking the name may as well have been shouting it out loud, she saw Krulos turn from the Valorian he'd been repeatedly shooting and faced her, those orange frog-like eyes burning like a pair of flaming orbs.

"THEY'RE HERE," The cry was like a nuclear warhead going off right next to her head. "PUSH FORWARD AND TAKE THE CHILD!"

The flurry of laser blasts seemed to amplify, pinging off every surface and pinging again. Miraculously, though, Abby…and thankfully Zoe…remained completely untouched.

 _Stand…_ , Zoe's whispy voice echoed through her head. _Stand…up…_

From where Abby was standing, there was only her and Krulos. This was her demon. This was the figure of her of her nightmares…the one who made her try to kill her best friend…with her bare hands. This was the monster who want to…hurt…Zoe…

She saw Krulos advancing on her…and without realizing it, her side-arm began to rise. 13 .40 caliber S&W hollow-point rounds, reliably accurate up to 300 yards in her hands…and Krulos was only closing the distance; closer…closer…only a few more feet…

"I…won't…LET YOU!"

… _click…_

… _BANG…BANG…_

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kimberly Anne Possible suppressed a groan as the injection needle filled with a quick heal solution, some kind of miracle medication, was removed from her torso so as to begin repairing the cracked ribs she'd received courtesy of a Rulon grenade. She was STILL kicking herself for that one. Only an idiot would've used grenades in such tight quarters but…these…she couldn't really call them people…very much WERE idiots, or rather their "bravery" could be easily be mistaken for idiocy. Now…she had these fool ribs and Nanna Possible's infernal warning about carelessness going through her head. At least Eme's voice hadn't intruded yet.

The after-action briefing had been like reading the synopsis of some kind of ridiculous '90s action movie…though, from where she stood, it had seemed far more realistic. While her own party had managed to head off the Rulons headed to the infirmary, the other party she'd detached hadn't succeeded in getting ahead of what turned out to be Krulos himself and a much larger party of Rulons. The saving grace had been the number of command deck at the time. They Rulons had gotten the drop on them but by the time Kim's relief party HAD gotten there, they'd at least forced them into something of a stalemate…until Abby.

Details were still hazy…understandably so given the circumstances…but initial reports were that…Kim couldn't help but shout out a silent cheer! Initial reports were that Abby had simply materialized out of thin air and began making a grab for the STEP crystal when Krulos spotted her. Krulos shouted…something…nobody could really say…but over the roar of battle and the crackling of laser blasts, Abby was seen cleanly leveling her Heckler & Koch pistol and promptly began unloading the entire clip into Krulos and the Rulons around him!

What happened next was…bizarre…but Kim was certainly willing to take it. One of the bullets pinged across the transparent helmet that Krulos apparently wore, generating a crack in what was essentially the only thing keeping him alive. Apparently, whatever Krulos was, he needed extreme amounts of hydration to keep from drying out. While the system was specially armored against laser fire the last thing any of the designers had considered was the good old fashioned concussive force of a .40 caliber hollow-point bullet, let alone two.

That was it! The wind had been completely taken out of their sails. One of the Rulons, another one of the snake creatures that Kim learned after the fact was one of Krulos's generals, somehow knew how to retract a portion of the floor allowing them to escape outside the ship where they managed to flag down some of their cohorts and escape. Kurlos, who'd strolled into town like some kind of bad guy in an old Western…wound up getting his ass handed to him like Jesse James and a town full of Minnesota hunters. The Valorians had handed them a beating for the age!

Kim had to suppress a contented sigh as she rolled her tunic back down her chest and over the already healing wound.

It just…felt GOOD! For the first time in what felt like years, Kim Possible felt utterly content with the world…though that likely had more to do with the news she'd just received, rather than the after-action repot.

Like any parent, finding out that her daughter had somehow wound up on the command deck in the middle of a firefight had instantly made her ready to quite literally shoot the messenger but the next words out of their mouth stayed her hand. While Abby and Zoe had somehow ended up in the thick of it, so had Turret, the ship's science officer, along with every ship's sensor available operating at full capacity. Somehow…for some insane reason…Zoe had transported the pair of them into the command deck which was how Abs was in a position to grab the STEP crystal in the first place.

At any rate, Turret's sensors had gotten a good read on the whole affair, particularly the energy signature of whatever it was that Zoe used to do what she did…and he was quite certain that he could replicate it on a small scale using the blood sample they'd taken from Zoe when she'd first arrived…but on a large enough scale to send them home!

They were going home! They were going back to their own time…Kim's heart was just fluttering like a swarm of monarch butterflies. She was going to kiss her wife, hold Zoe's sisters and brother and…

…ad nothing more needed to be said!

There was a chime and the door slid open to admit Serena into the room.

"Turret says he's nearly ready," Serena smiled as she offered a hand to help Kim off the bed. "I'm to escort you to the site.

Kim returned the smile and hopped off the bed, falling into line behind…as bizarre as it would seem to the outside observer, the only word Kim could use was "granddaughter".

As rapidly as Kim was already beginning to heal, Serena's concussion may as well never even have happened, for all the signs she exhibited…which, like any grandmother, only brought a smile to her face.

"You sure look better," Kim cheered as she patted the slightly younger woman on the shoulder. Kim was fully aware of how uncomfortable Serena was with the fact that Kim knew…what she did…but…she heard her give a small laugh. "You know, I've been thinking," Kim continued. "What if…what if I was supposed to find out about…well…all of this?" She gestured at the hallway they were walking down. "I mean…I'm a Christian and I've always believed that everything, no matter how random it may seem, happens for a reason. I could never have thought of my girls doing something like this and…and I don't know. Maybe I'm just an optimist but…this feels right to me. It feels like everything is going to be okay." Kim advanced and put her arm around the girl.

"I hope so," Serena breathed…and for the briefest of moments, it felt like Serena was snuggling into Kim's embrace like a…like a real granddaughter…or at least how Kim had done with Nanna.

This had truly been an extraordinary experience!

The pair emerged outside to a crowd of people lining the dirt street as if serving as some kind of honor guard. As they walked, Kim took a moment to survey the damage. Considering that they had been caught by surprise, Kim could only think they'd gotten off pretty light. The bulk of the buildings were composed of timber, making them very susceptible to laser fire, but other than a few beams knocked loose and some minor charring, the Valorian defensive forces had performed better than many Kim had seen back home. Thank God for that!

The street wound around buildings and other fair well crowds, coming to an end at the central staging grounds. Kim took in those standing in wait. She felt a wave of joy wash over her as she saw the gaggle of new friends congregating around Zoe in an attempt to say good bye, and making sure that she had her Crosser equipment. Questar was discussing something with Abby, and the science officer, Turret, was busy inspecting a counsel connected to a small satellite dish.

So that was the wonder machine that was going to send them home?

The party realized Kim was there and turned to face her…but Kim had one last thing to do. She turned and faced Serena, quickly pulling her into a hug. She didn't know quite how to respond, at least at first, but Kim eventually felt the other's arms wrap around her and return the embrace.

"Take care of yourself," Kim chirped as she let Serena go. "You know how your elders tend to worry but…I'm so glad I met you!"

Questar stepped up to them.

"Kim Possible…are you ready?"

Oh…to HELL with it! Before Questar could react…or probably object…Kim wrapped the commanding officer in a bear hug. He stopped dead…a lot like Serena…and just like Serena, eventually returned the embrace.

"The same goes for you, Questar," Kim replied, letting the man go. "I am supremely glad to have met you, Questar!"

"And I you, Kim Possible," Questar smiled and led her to the rest of her party. "The three of you have been a breath of fresh air…and quite literally a savior to us."

Zoe's troupe of friends bid her goodbye and both her and Abby stood beside Kim, hands sneaking into hers. Kim looked down and her daughter and planted a kiss on Zoe's forehead.

"I'm so proud of you," Kim breathed. "Remind me that you need a raise in your allowance when we get back home!"

"Just a raise?" Zoe squawked. "I'd have thought I'd at least have got a later bedtime too."

God…she sunded so much like Eme! Kim could only roll her eyes.

"Don't push it, young lady," Kim turned to Abby. "You ready to hold your baby boy again, Abs?" Abby's grip tightened on her hand. "Answers that question, I suppose," Abby gave a weak smile. "Just a few moments more."

No one really had any idea how to proceed. Until the science officer was ready to go, no one really had anything to do. A few others stepped up to bid them personal good byes, present them with parting gifts, and the like.

"I think we're ready to go," Turret announced.

"Is this…going to hurt?" Kim asked eliciting a round of laughter from the crowd.

"You might feel a similar sensation to what you felt upon arrival but there shouldn't be any physical pain. Are you ready?"

Kim simply nodded.

"Alright…firing energy burst in three…two…ONE!"

 _Author's Note:_

 _And so ends the Possibles' adventures in both the past and the future! Gotta admit that I really enjoyed researching this one, getting to watch all the old episodes on YouTube. I really hope that the rumors are true and that with the success of Jurassic World that there is a remake in the works for this severely underrated show._

 _Now we get to part 2, where those Possibles that remain come face to face with the true story of their origins. Full credit for the idea has to go to Hopeful Husky for his excellent work on Children of the Comet that inspired me to do my own origin story._


	14. Chapter 14

Dierdra, daughter of Roisin and Conchobar, crowned princess and heir to the throne of Kells, heaved a delighted sigh as she threw open the windows of her chambers to let in the sunshine on such a glorious day. Thank the Gods that the rain had ended. She'd been so looking forward to the Ostara festival, her favorite time of the year, since the first snowflakes fell and rain would've just ruined the experience.

As she gazed outside at all of the stalls being uncovered and the banners being hung, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, even after so many years. No matter how much she loved this time of the year…it always reminded her of her mother. Kells was very much a land of war. Both men and women learned from birth that those without swords could still die by them. Even now, with the war with Temra, Deirdra herself had seen enough bloodshed to last…long enough. In such beautiful land ravaged by war…it made those beings of light all the more precious. Often, it seemed, what love her mother didn't give to Deirdra and her father, she gave to the people of Kells. Never did the hungry go without food. Never did strong backs go without work if they were willing. To a little girl, the woman was only her mother but as Deirdra had grown older, she grew to see that Queen Roisin…was the people's queen, pure and true.

That had made it all the harder when she'd fallen ill. Deirdra had been little more than seven at the time but she still remembered it clearly. It had been cold, far colder than Cathbad the Wizard could explain. Mother had by no means been the only one to take sick but when she had…it seemed like the entire kingdom stopped. The fever had taken her so quickly…and Cathbad had tried so hard, using every remedy he could think of. Deirdra had seen the great wizard weave many miracles, even at such a young age, but…the Gods hadn't chosen to grant one…and Deirdra had to watch her mother succumb…and…

Deirdra took a breath of the wet fresh air. No matter how Mother had gone, she'd be horrified if she saw her daughter mourning on a day such as this!

… _knock…knock…_

The knock at the door jarred her out of the daydream like a sword blow and uttered a quick "one moment" as she scrambled around her chambers in an attempt to find a robe. She'd finally spotted the infernal thing thrown across a chair. What had possessed her to leave it there? She draped it around her and darted to the door.

"Enter."

The door swung open and her father stood in the doorway, cool and composed as ever. Deirdra had to suppress a giggle. Father always went to such lengths to play the stoic king and warrior tasked with defending his people from outside attackers...and she certainly understood that often times it wasn't at all play acting. Her father was brave, loyal, and would gladly take up a sword to defend even the lowest of his subjects…but few knew what court fool laid beneath. Many was the time that she'd led him on a merry chase through the castle, hiding in corners and passages until Father would often drag her out by the ankles and descend on her in a fit of tickles.

"Blessed Ostara, Father," Deidra cried as she wrapped him up in a hug.

"Blessed Ostara, child," He replied, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I hope that I am the first to wish you so."

Deirdra let out a small laugh as she led them towards her bed. Deirdra planted herself on the straw cushion and Father took up a chair next to the bed…not really bothering to hide the fact that he had a hand behind his back. Not for the first time, Deirdra had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. As she'd just though, ever fool. Gift giving, in particular, had been one of Father's rather childish indulgences, always wanting to keep the gift a surprise until he absolutely couldn't anymore. It had been fun when she'd been a child but…well…maybe a SMALL part of her still thought it was fun. At any rate, it always made Father so happy.

"I wanted to be the first to give you your present," He smiled as he pulled a wrapped bundle from behind his back. "I had the dressmaker working in secret for days to prepare it in time."

"Oh Father…" She smiled and gave him another kiss while taking the package. With calm hands, Deirdra began untying the ribbon. The paper fell away to reveal…by Dagda…her breath caught. Inside was the most beautiful gown she'd ever laid eyes on, in an absolutely stunning shade of blue, her favorite color. She shook the gown out and ran over to the mirror. She had to see it in its full glory. Gazing into her reflection, she…loved it.

"I believe it's just waiting for this."

Deirdra turned as her father offered a finely worked leather belt. It took some doing but Deirdra managed to wrap the belt, studded with a polished stone in the center, around herself and turned back to the mirror…she couldn't believe it. Father was…she turned around and squeezing him as tightly as she could. He was too much!

"You know…you look so much like your mother," He replied. "Especially when you smile."

"Father…it…its lovely," Deirdra breathed as she returned to the bed and draped the gown over it. She turned and wrapped her arms around her father one last time.

"Anything for you, daughter," Father lifted her head by the chin and lightly kissed her forehead. "Now…the people are expecting to see their princess. She'd best take time to look her best before she leaves."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

… _Nnnnnnggggghhhh…_

She hurt. Whatever else Gracie Anne Possible knew, that was foremost in her mind. She felt like…like someone had pulled out her brain stem and started swinging the thing around, brain and all, only to stuff it back in! What the heck had happened? The last thing she'd known was…the twins getting sick on the camping trip that they'd taken…and…and Mom and Momma bringing them home. After that… _argh…_ to make matters worse, Gracie's head was spinning like someone had planted it on top of a Spirograph. She…she had to open her eyes. That was as good a place to start as any. Her eyelids began to creep open…and bright beams of light stabbed her eyes, only making her head feel like it was spinning faster. Slowly but surely her vision began to adjust back to normal and…

… _LIIIIIIIICCCCCKKKK…_

Gracie jerked back as if she'd been struck by lightning! What the…who the…Gracie's eyes darted around and…and her pulse slowed as soon as she saw the culprit. Standing barely a foot away from her was a cow…that Gracie couldn't help but think looked a little like it was smiling.

Wait a minute…the last thing she remembered was being in the house and…Gracie blinked repeatedly, finally taking a good look at where she was. She was…not in the house to say the least. She was sitting in the middle of a field and now that she thought about it…her clothes were soaked to the skin, like she'd been sitting outside in the middle of a rainstorm; but Momma had checked the weather before they left Middleton and not a drop all week. Gracie tried to force herself up to her feet…and gave a nervous gulp. Not only was she outside…but the farmhouse was nowhere in sight.

"So," She turned to the cow. "You wouldn't have seen how I got here, did you?"

Okay…she had to think…what had happened? The…the twins had gotten sick on the camping trip and Mom and Momma had gone and brought them back to the house. Momma had shouted…and everyone ran up to the twins' room and…and…nothing…nada…nill…

Gracie took a deep breath. This was nothing she hadn't had to deal with before! She just needed to assess her situation and make a plan. First…she needed to determine where she was, what had happened to her. Second…she had to find some new clothes and fast! It FELT like she was still in Ireland and…while a Pennsylvania winter made her savoring the 48 degrees of an Irish spring she'd knew that if she had to spend the night, hypothermia was going to be major concern. Third…she had to find the others…or at least find help. What if the twins had gotten caught up in whatever brought Gracie here? What if…what if…Nicky…?

NO; she had to focus! She had to focus on the task at hand. She had to…

"MOOOOOOOOO"

Gracie turned towards the cow…and finally LOOKED at him…or her…whatever. The cow was wearing a lead rope! That meant that it had to have come from a farm nearby. Gracie looked around. All around her were green rolling hills and wide open skies that COULD still be County Wexford…or it could be virtually anywhere on the island…or even Scotland. The temperature felt the same…actually a little colder. She REALLY needed to get out of these wet duds.

"MOOOOOOOOO"

Gracie turned back towards the cow and it looked like it was motioning to the north…almost as if it wanted to be led in that direction. Well…north was as good a place to start as any.

She took up the lead rope and began walking. While she walked, her mind began to drift. How HAD she gotten here? Drakken? The Seniors? Duff Killigan? Any number of wackjobs could've done this…whatever "this" was…but why? She didn't think that it would likely be Drakken. The Big Blue Dork never actively went after anyone in the Possible family anymore. Gracie had heard the story MANY times of when she was 4 and had snuck aboard that stupid flying weather-changing lair that had been following them around while on vacation. Mom and Momma had jumped to the conclusion that Drakken had actually kidnapped her, prompting them to threaten to make life…well…rather unpleasant for him if he ever tried it again. Since then…no; it couldn't be him.

Gracie had gone down the list, one by one ruling them out. She'd just crossed off Monkey Fist when she reached a hilltop…and her breath caught in her throat! The ground descended down into a massive valley, strewn with boulders. There looked to be an expansive river at the far end. All around, towering trees dotted the landscape. It was one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen…

…but not nearly as beautiful as the wandering green haired child she spotted at the bottom of the hill. Thank goodness for Momma's genes. You could pick Em out of a crowd of thousands. Emily had gotten on her big sister's nerves like nearly every younger sibling since the beginning of time and Gracie liked to think she was fairly good at giving it right back, especially with her sister's naturally occurring green hair…the kid looked like some kind of extra from a leprechaun movie…but in that instant, that mop of green curls was enough to make Gracie cheer.

"EM," Gracie shouted out as she began running down the steep embankment, dodging around rocks and anything in her way. "OVER HERE!"

The younger Possible turned, spotted the charging older sister, and took off towards her. The pair dodged and darted, round a bend and Gracie scooped the younger Possible up into her arms without missing a beat, never so glad to see her kid sister in her life. Wrapping her up in her arms, Gracie's hands began checking her sister for any signs of injury. She…her clothes were just as soaked as hers. She HAD to find some dry clothes! She wasn't going to let Em…

"Gracie…" Emily squirmed. "Gracie…I'm fine! What…what's happening? Where are we?"

Gracie breathed a sigh of relief as, other than being soaked, Emily didn't have a scratch on her. You couldn't blame a big sister for worrying.

"Well…I don't quite know," Gracie admitted. "Something happened and…I don't know. I woke up about a mile up the hill…"

"MOOOOOOOO"

Gracie turned as apparently the cow had followed her down.

"I…uh…woke up with my friend here," She motioned. "Then I found you. Do you remember anything?" Em shook her head "no" but Gracie could see the nerves in her eyes. "Hey, hey; this is so not the drama, shorty," Gracie wrapped up her sister in a bear hug. "You're with your big sis. Tell you what. Someone's probably looking for our friend here. Why don't I give you a boost and you can ride him to the next village?" She turned and looked further down the valley. She could see a few structures off in the distance. "It looks like there's a village or town is down there. I bet that's where Momma and everyone are waiting for us."

Well…Gracie likely wouldn't have believed it either. At the very least, Emily remained composed enough to let Gracie help her up onto the cow. Once Gracie was confident that the kid wasn't about to slide off…that would be the icing on the cake, Emily getting hurt and Gracie having to use…anyway, that WASN'T going to happen. Gracie took the lead rope and tugged, prompting the cow to follow. Wherever they were…it really was beautiful but…something seemed…a little off. As the small party trapesed along the river, Gracie could shake the feeling…well…just…off was really the only way to describe it. It was like she could feel…she hadn't felt anything like it since...since she and Momma survived a plane crash in Canada…

She had more important things to think about right now! Gracie tried to shut off that line of thought and instead tuned in to the conversation that Emily seemed to be having with the cow. The twins, a lot like Gracie herself, seemed to have a knack with animals…which brought to mind George…and she had to focus on the job at hand! Emily had decreed that the cow's name was to be Miss Molly. Gracie had to suppress a grin as she heard Em snatch a handful of leaves from a passing tree and reach up to feed them to her new friend.

"So…where are we, Gracie?"

"Well…we're still in Ireland," Gracie mused, leading the cow…Molly…between a pair of trees. She heard a _snap_ as Emily grabbed another branch. "It still FEELS like Ireland. Don't worry. We'll find out more when we get to town. Hey, maybe someone will give you a reward for bringing back their cow."

As the party began getting closer, Gracie could see that the structures she'd seen in the distance were actually one giant castle…well…giant for the day, at least…and she could see a bunch of other houses…of a sort. The "houses" actually looked like they were made out of dirt and every one of them had a thatch roof. The last time that Gracie had seen anything similar was last autumn when Mom and Momma had taken everyone to the medieval festival in Erie. Did County Wexford have a fair going on? That didn't seem like something Mom or Momma would've hid, especially from her. As she got in sight of the front gate, the fair theory sure seemed to pay out. Every archway seemed to be decked out with flowers and ribbons. Whatever was going on, the people here were certainly celebrating something…and those costumes were stitched perfectly!

Gracie approached a reenactor dressed as a guard.

"Excuse me; my sister and I are a little lost. Can you tell us where exactly we are?"

The reenactor gave her a…well…confused look and said…something stranger still. It SOUNDED like Irish but no dialect she could recognize. You couldn't be a decent Celtic singer and not be able to at least understand a few words of Irish and ever since Mom and Momma had gotten her the Rosetta Stone Irish program, Gracie's been dedicating herself to the beautiful lyrical language for years. What this man was speaking sounded like…

…Gracie's eyes narrowed! The man's look morphed from a look of confusion to one that was staring just a little too openly at the soaked clothes that Gracie was suddenly very aware of just how much were clinging to her skin. The pig was blatantly gawking at her!

"Thanks for nothing, jackass," Gracie muttered in disgust and pulled the cow past him and into the throng of people. Whatever wa going on, it did have all the feelings of a festival. Stalls and vendors dotted the town square, all of them hocking their wares…in a language that made Gracie stop dead in her tracks. It was some dialect she'd never heard…but any Celtic musician worth her salt could recognize Irish! Gracie had gone farther than most, actually making an effort to learn the language. If this really was some kind of fair, these people REALLY went in for authenticity.

"Gracie…what's going on? What are these people saying?"

"They're speaking Irish," Gracie replied as matter-of-factly as she could. "But I can't quite make it out."

Gracie flagged down a woman this time, delving into what Irish she could speak. The woman still looked at her like Gracie may as well have been strolling through town in her birthday suit but…at least she didn't feel the need to treat Gracie like a piece of meat. It involved a lot more hand gestures than actually speaking. Gracie could still only puzzle out maybe every fourth or fifth word but the woman could at least point her in the general direction of…draiogchtay almost sounded like…magic? Mystic? And ridiiracih…could be ridire, Irish for "knight."

Mystic Knights? Was that some kind of joke? Mom and Momma had taken the family to enough events like this to appreciate the realism but this was taking things a little too far. Couldn't these people see that she and Emily really needed help? Just point her in the direction of the closest police station and be done with it!

At any rate, Gracie thanked the woman for her help…or at least what she thought was a thank you…and pulled the cow in the proper direction.

Strangely enough, as Gracie continued to move through the square, doing her best to avoid or at least ignore the stares directed their way, "Mystic Knights" could be picked up everywhere. In fact, it greatly seemed like it was all anyone could talk about. At least that meant that if these mysterious "knights" really could help them, finding them wouldn't prove difficult.

Gracie quickly realized that the village had, in fact, only been a small part of what could indeed be considered a bustling town…with a very impressive castle nestled off in the distance.

"Wow," The younger Possible gasped.

"Yeah…wow."

Where the heck were they?

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Rowan gave himself a shake as he walked through the training yard. He generally found himself to be a pretty sound sleeper but last night…that dream still puzzled him. Ever since Cathbad had taken him in as a boy, Rowan's old mentor always stressed the importance and significance of the dreaming world. Rowan had learned from a young age to train himself to recount his dreams in detail, no matter how minor they had seemed at the time. One could only take Cathbad's lectures so long before the urge to slam one's head into the wall became too overwhelming. The man was like a father to him in many was…MANY ways but…

The images flashed back to him. There were three people…three women…or rather what looked to be two women and a child. He didn't know how he knew…though he rarely EVER knew how in a dream…that there was a connection between the three. While the two older women had most definitely reached womanhood, the younger still had the feel of youth, as if she was the older woman's daughter. BOTH of the women felt like they were the older woman's daughters. All three had been wreathed in a shimmering light, the oldest in a bright green, the older child in a golden yellow, and the youngest in a pure blue. Stranger still had been that they had seemed to be falling directly towards him. That last bit had been easy enough to interpret, even for an apprentice wizard such as he.

They would arrive very soon…though who are what they were…or why they were coming…still eluded him.

"HANDSOME ONE…LOOK OUT!"

… _THUMP…_

Rowan stumbled as the low-hanging beam smacked into his forehead. A brilliant display of checkers and stars flashed across his eyes as little Aideen fluttered down beside him. Rowan was too dazed to realize but Aideen quickly uttered a spell, cushioning and redirecting his fall onto a nearby bale of straw.

"Oh, Handsome One," The little fairy grumbled as she sunk down onto her enormous friend's shoulder. "You've got to be more careful! What if you'd damaged that glorious face?"

Rowan shook his head a few times to clear the checkers from his vision.

"Ah…thank you, Aideen. I'm sorry to say I didn't get much sleep last night. Dagda gifted me with a very strange and puzzling dream."

"A dream?" She gasped. "How exciting! What was it about?"

"I'm not entirely sure," He sighed as he began rubbing the already forming goose egg on his forehead. "All I can say is that someone is going to arrive very soon…and it is important that we find them."

"That IS mysterious," Aideen continued, rubbing her hands together. Rowan counted Little Aideen one of his truest friends. The little leaf-clad fairy was brave, loyal, and full of magic…but he couldn't help but smile at the youthful enthusiasm she exhibited, not unlike he and Angus in their youth. "Even more mysterious because of what King Finvara said; All the fae are gossiping. The King has been saying that he's felt an awakening of magic, the first in a thousand years."

"An awakening?"

"Oh yes! An awakening of a new magical spirit, a new creature; I wonder if the two could be related."

An awakening of a new magical power? That couldn't have been mere chance that he heard this after his dream…and rather fitting that it be on the Ostara. He'd have to journey to Tir Na Nog to converse with the King. Maybe…maybe those three that he saw…could they have been fairies; could they be the awakening that Finvara had felt? Stranger still than the feeling that they were falling directly towards him had been their appearene. The older two…at the time, Rowan couldn't have said that their green skin was anything other than a dream…as with the youngest girl's green hair…but if they were magic…

Rowan suddenly found himself with a dozen questions for the king of the Faeries.

There was a clatter of armor and Rowan turned toward the castle to see several soldiers snapping to attention as Princess Deirdra marched out into the courtyard, looking every inch the stoic and lofty noble princess. Thankfully, through the many months of war with Temra, Rowan could see clear through the mask and see the child eager to enjoy the festival. Had you looked at the pair even two years ago, you'd have never predicted that the noble princess and the lowly wizard's apprentice would've ended up fighting shoulder to shoulder, let alone become friends. Cernunnos's eyes, you'd have never predicted the wizard's apprentice would be the prophesied hero from legend either. Never let it be said, by Dagda, that the God's didn't have a sense of humor.

As Deirdra came closer, Rowan could see even clearer the makings of a dazzling smile on her face, just barely kept in check. Rowan got to his feet and offered a bow.

"Blessed Ostara, Princess."

"Please, Rowan," The princess rolled her eyes. "You'd have thought you could call me Deirdra by now! Now, unless I missed my guess, Angus should have at least lost his shirt to the game master by now. What say we find Ivar and watch him lose the rest?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Gracie was about ready to break down and cry! What did it take to get some fucking help around here? She couldn't help but cringe inwardly at her language. Mom and Momma had always been so strict in that regard…but Gracie had certainly heard the two slip often enough when they didn't know she was in earshot…so they sure didn't have a right to judge…if she ever found them, that is; but none of the men she encountered within the last five minutes had done much to improve her view of the species. What kind of pig stared so openly in this day and age?

Gracie came to a stop at the gates of the castle. Whoever or whatever these "Magic Knights" or "Mystic Knights" were, everyone seemed to think that they were the only ones who could help and this was where they could apparently be found.

The people seemed to be flowing freely in and out so Gracie gave another tug on the rope and moved ahead. Someone, likely playing the character of a serving maid, pointed out across the grounds to a quickly visible trio. One looked to be dressed like a princess…and pretty realistically too; no tiaras or pink clothing. Everyone who passed by also seemed to give the woman a brief bow our curtsy. Everyone was really into their roles here.

The first man in the group really didn't LOOK that significant. Based on his appearance, Gracie could've pegged him as a low ranking officer in the "army" but all of the armed actors who passed by seemed to regard him with near as much respect as they did the princess. What really drew the eye, however, was the massive broadsword strapped to his back. Gracie couldn't make out the blade but the hilt was bright red with intricately worked gold all along the handle, ending at what looked like a giant dragon worked in gold. The thing looked like something out of Tolkien.

Gracie brushed away a butterfly that kept daring towards her face; stupid bug!

The other guy…Gracie's eyes grew wider. He was…gorgeous! He had brown skin the color of caramel and…and a dazzling smile. A black boy in rural Ireland would've been remarkable enough but…the weapon strapped at his back was equally as shocking. He was carrying a trident, an actual trident; and if the woman was a princess…then this guy definitely was acting the part of a prince! It wasn't exactly the same but all of the soldiers paid him as much as they did the other two.

The butterfly darted back towards her ace. What the heck was wrong with that thing? The butterfly ducked around Gracie's hand and…

"HELLO THERE!"

Gracie blinked and…if she didn't know any better, she'd have thought the stupid bug was talking to her. It sure sounded like that cry had come from right in front of her. Whoever had said it, the cry drew the attention of the three "magic knights".

"Gracie? What…?"

"This bug is going berserk," Gracie grunted. "Bad enough everyone is acting so weird but…" There was brief flash and Gracie's arm froze in mid-air. Her…her entire body was frozen, even her mouth. Oh God…this had been a trap! She'd led her baby sister right into a trap! She couldn't even turn her head to see if…the insane flipping butterfly settled into her field of vision…and Gracie's eyes felt like they were about to pop out of her head. Something was VERY wrong…because that butterfly was…WAS…talking to her. What's more…it wasn't a butterfly. The thing had been moving so fast that she hadn't noticed but the only thing resembling a butterfly in what floated before her were the wings. Attached to those wings…was a person, an actual person! Standing before her…or rather floating before her was…

Gracie's eyes rolled up into her head and everything went dark.

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Finally we get to start the second part. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog was about the most underrated 90s kids show of my youth. The premise revolved around a group of power rangers-like characters known as the Mystic Knights, a wizard's apprentice, his pick-pocket best friend, their princess, and a prince from a faraway land are sucked into the world of Tir Na Nog, the land of the Faeries (also the land of eternal youth in Irish mythology). After completing a series of challenges, the four are gifted with magical weapons and eventually magic armor to help them battle the evil Queen Maeve who is determined to rule the entire island. The whole series was based off of Irish mythology and the entire two season series was shot on location in Ireland. I've long been kicking around an idea for a medieval version of Kim Possible and if this story goes well, I might pursue it further._

 _A bit of foreshadowing: Look for Gracie to discover much more about what it means to be meta-human._

 _Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog and all associated characters are the copyrighted property of Saban Entertainment. Intellectual property rights are unknown._


	15. Chapter 15

Oh God…her head; Shego Possible was no stranger to the "devil's nectar". You couldn't be married to a real life Brian Flanagan and not overindulge just a little bit; but this was a hangover for the record books! Her head felt like a woofer was going full blast and trying to vibrate her head open…and the rest of her body didn't feel much better. She felt…cold, a lot colder than she should've. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was…the twins…in DANGER! Her eyes shot open and even in the flickering light her eyes needed time to adjust. The twins were…something had happened to them! Kim and Shego…had seen something and…her spine stiffened as she saw that she was in a dungeon

"What the hell?" Shego moaned as she tried to force her way up to at least a sitting position. Oh…whoever was responsible for this was seriously going to regret this! She'd made it ABUNDANTLY clear what was going to happen to any jackass who dared bring her family into this…let alone ruin a vacation! The plasma coursed through her cells, driving away the chill. The immediate question quickly became who would've done this…and how soon she was going to burn her way out.

After long enough in "the biz", you eventually could recognize any Hench Co. lair simply by stepping into pretty much any room. Brigs were particularly distinctive, Shego found. Lord knew she'd spent enough time in them. This one didn't resemble anything she'd ever encountered before. The cell seemed to be built right into the soil wall. Not too many of the major players in the villain community still used that style these days; far too easy to tunnel out. She turned her attention to the cell door. It LOOKED like an ordinary set of iron bars…but to a lot of people, a diamond looked like a piece of glass. Shego snatched up a pebble and sent it soaring…right through the bars and clattering across what sounded like a rock floor. So…a dirt prison and a simple iron door to hold her in? Damn…she almost felt like she should be insulted. Either her captors had absolutely no idea who she was or…or…well…maybe she SHOULD feel insulted. It sort of sounded like tooting her own horn but what villain hadn't heard of Shego Possible?

As if that thought had been a cue, Shego heard voices coming down the hall; three voices, two men and a woman; and they were getting closer. Good; at least she'd know who she was facing. She tried to listen in on the chatter…but it was no language she could recognize. Well…actually…now that she really listened…there WAS something familiar about it. She HAD heard…if not exactly that…something very similar to it…but she couldn't think where.

Her limbs were beginning to feel a little less like mush so Shego pulled herself to her feet. Whoever this was, she wasn't going to see a simpering wimp in THIS cell.

Shego had made her spin iron straight…but her concentration couldn't help but crack a hair. Her captors…were not exactly what she was expecting. The one Shego pegged as the prison guard looked to be clad in some kind of crude armor, metal discs sewn onto a dark purple tunic. Stranger still was the fact that he also had a sword sheathed at his side. The other two were definitely in positions of authority. The older man was clad in similar armor, if of a better quality, and wore a helmet with a pair of ram's horns mounted on it. The woman…the woman was something else entirely! She looked like an honest to God witch. Not the pointy hat, "I'll get you my pretty" Halloween witch but a real one. Kimmie had published a book a while back on Briton before and after the Roman invasion and Shego had peeked at some of the research Kimmie had brought home. This woman looked as if she'd just leapt right off the page. She stood about as tall as Shego and had a cascade of black curls going to her back. She also looked to have…Shego almost wanted to call it war paint…on. The icing on the cake, though, was the "scepter" she carried, capped with some kind of animal skull, maybe a deer, and on top of the skull was some kind of white crystal.

"Ce tusa?" The woman barked, fixing Shego with a basilisk glare. Somehow, Shego was certain that was a common expression for that face. "Ce a chuir tu chuig Temra?"

"Lady, you've got about five seconds to tell me where my wife and kids are," Shego growled, returning the woman's glare. "Better nut jobs than you have tried to keep them from me and…"

From out of nowhere, a sound like rushing air seemed to engulf her. She felt herself being lifted off the ground…and was hurled backwards. Soil though the wall may have been, it was still plenty solid. Shego let out a grunt as she hit the wall…and felt a _crunch_ as the rickety table that she'd landed on collapsed. That…was new! She tried to force herself up and turned to see that crystal atop the woman's scepter…was glowing a bright green.

"Ta tu ach direach tosaithe a fhios ag a pian!" The woman shrieked as she turned and marched away with the others in tow.

Not wanting to give the bitch the satisfaction, Shego just bit her tongue and climbed back to her feet without a word. What the hell was that? The woman hadn't raised a hand, hadn't even so much as twitched…and Shego felt like someone had smacked her with an oversized cricket bat; and it had something to do with that crystal.

She brushed herself off…and felt something…a presence she hadn't felt since…! If the situation hadn't been more serious, she'd likely have chuckled at the little Star Wars pun. They hadn't really ever discussed it but…ever since she and her brothers had been struck by the comet…apart from the whole powers thing…she and her brothers had been…sort of connected. It was difficult to explain but ever since the event, the Gordon children could…feel each other, sort of feel when the other one was nearby, at least over a short distance, maybe a mile. Shego'd never really put it to the test with Gracie…but she had that same feeling now! The consensus among those who knew was that they were sensing each other's meta-human genes. Whatever that crystal was, it had given that woman meta-human powers!

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

What was happening?

Gracie didn't want to open her eyes for fear of what she was going to see. Things were getting too weird. First, she wakes up soaked to the bone in the middle of nowhere. Then…then she led her little sister directly into some kind of trap and…and she was suddenly seeing magical creatures. What was next? Was she going to wake up with a sparkly vampire floating over her? Was she going to wake up to discover that she'd sprouted a fish tail and had a sudden urge to sing "Part of Your World"? She rolled over…and realized that her clothes were gone! With that, her willpower crumbled and her eyes shot open.

She'd expected to be in a cell of some kind but she found herself in…a straw bed. True enough, her wet clothes were gone but after peeking under the covers, she could see that…she hadn't grown a fish tail but was clad in some kind of thick white dress. As her eyes came back into focus, she saw that she was in some kind of…well…room; nothing truly remarkable. She was in a bed. Across the room, she could see a stone basin built into the wall. Across from that was a wardrobe. Here and there were bits of obviously hand-made furniture. The whole thing had the vibe of a guest room…and the look of something really old.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock at the door. She stammered out "come in" and the woman from before, dressed as a princess, came in, a look of concern…and curiosity splashed across it.

"Who…who are you?" She gulped, completely forgetting that everyone she'd met couldn't even understand her. "Where's my sister?"

The woman still looked…confused…and she started speaking in that strange form of Irish again.

"Gceist again…you no harm."

She…she…oh for the love of…

"You…how did you…speak…English…" The words were out before she could stop them.

The woman, maybe only a year or so older than herself, furrowed her brow. "I…don't know what 'anglis' is. I've spoken this way for as long as I can remember; but forgive me. You asked a question. I am Deirdra, daughter of Conchabar, Princess of Kells. You feinted when Aideen tried to introduce yourself."

K…Kells? The name seemed familiar, like she'd read about it in a book somewhere. Some kind of kingdom a long time ago…a VERY long time ago; it seemed like Mom had told her about it. She'd come across it while researching a book when Gracie was a kid. Had…had had it been in Wexford? Was that what these people were reenacting? And who the heck was Aideen?

"Where…where's my sister? I have to keep her…"

"Oh…Dagda forgive me. Of course, I should've said that right away. Your sister Emily is down the hall with my dress maker, having one of my old dresses altered to fit. She explained everything to us, about being separated from your family."

Gracie gave a reluctant nod.

"Danu's care, I'm sorry to hear that. You should know that my Father's mustering patrols for a search of the surrounding areas. If they are out there…my father's men will find them!" Gracie couldn't say why but her pulse began to slow. "Lady Grace…I promise you that we mean you no harm. You and your sister are quite safe here."

Safe? Who the heck knew what safe was? Gracie thought her head was spinning before but now she felt like she'd spent half the day on the tilt-a-whirl! She needed her parents! She wanted Mom and Momma! She…she…

"Cathbad was afraid of this," Deirdra pulled a small sack out of her pouch. "He was afraid you would react this way to the scare." She poured a mug of water from the pitcher on a stand and emptied the contents of the pouch into it, turning it a milky white color. "Here; it will calm you down." She set the mug down and Gracie just stared at it. "Calm her down" may just as well have been drugging her!

"What did you people?" Gracie mumbled. "I couldn't move and when that…that mutant butterfly came at me…I…there's no way I could've seen what I…"

"Of all the nerve," A high pitched voice came from the window. "My wings are far lovelier than some common thistle sucker! I was only trying to introduce myself!"

Oh…it was back! The…the demon butterfly was back! Whatever…it...was floated into the room towards the bed; Gracie's grip tightened on her blankets as if they were a protective shield against this insanity. The creature came to a stop and sat Indian style on the top blanket. Now that Gracie had a chance to really look, she was amazed at just how human the creature looked. Except for the wings, which looked like they'd come from a butterfly and a different color scheme, she may as well have walked out of a Tinkerbelle cosplay contest! She seemed to shift between looking as young as the twins to…a little younger than Mom, maybe. Her "clothes" actually looked like someone had woven a skirt and cap out of autumn leaves.

"This…isn't happening…"Gracie moaned as she brought her hands over her eyes. "This…isn't happening!"

"Have…have you never seen another fairy before?"

"F…fairy? I…wait…ANOTHER?"

Gracie could feel her hands beginning to loosen on the blanket. The…fairy…got up and started walking across the bed, fixing Gracie with a puzzled stare. Gracie would've thought she'd been frozen again. The creature…fairy…reached out her hand…

…and Gracie gasped for breath. She could feel it…like she never could before. She could feel her meta-human…plasma…pulsing through her veins like a hurricane. She could feel it rushing towards…towards this…fairy.

"You…you're a meta!" Gracie gasped as she regained her breath. The fairy removed her hand and gave a smile.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Gracie heaved an exhausted sigh…and winced at the jab from the sewing needle the dressmaker was deftly wielding. The woman wasn't even TRYING to warn her anymore, though Gracie certainly felt like she HAD an excuse. After all, how many in this room could say they'd just had their world turned upside down. Fairies…honest to Almighty God FAIRIES…were real! MAGIC was real…after a fashion. The scene in the room had as good as proved it beyond a doubt. The fairy…Aideen…had slowly come to realize just how truly out of the loop her "guest" was. She couldn't really explain a tremendous amount but what she could explain…didn't exactly make her feel much better.

Gracie was a fairy…after a fashion. The energy coursing through the 15 year old's veins was magic…at least from Aideen's perspective. Aideen was adamant about that one fact…and excited by it. As she explained it, Gracie was something called a…an awakened, a newly "born" magical creature. Whatever they really were, these fairies were supposedly lived to be very old, like thousands of years old, and that made it exceedingly rare that a new power was "born". Aideen's "king" had supposedly been foretelling that Gracie and Emily would be coming…which meant that he wanted to meet her.

God, Gracie had a headache! Strangely enough, Emily's words…well…helped and made the headache worse. Gracie had apparently been unconscious for the better part of a day before her little chitchat with Deirdra and Aideen. Shortly after THAT little conversation ended, Emily burst in…looking like some…well...with the green hair, she kind of looked like an elf from Lord of the Rings. All she was missing was the pointy ears. Em didn't really look any worse for the wear…and she actually looked happy. Aideen fluttered down onto her shoulder…and you'd have thought that George was there instead for all the notice that Em paid.

Their Momma could hurl plasma. Mom and Gracie had been sucked into a video game. Were magic and fairies and all that really so out of the realm of possibility?

Leaving aside the fact that her ten year old sister had just properly used "realm of possibility" in a sentence…that was a ridiculously valid argument! After everything that her parents had been through…heck, after everything SHE'D been through, Emily was right. No matter how they had gotten here, this really WASN'T the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her.

There was a knock at the door and in walked Emily, clad in much the same manner as Gracie. She boasted an elegant white gown with a finely worked brown leather belt.

"Finished," The dressmaker barked in a commanding voice.

The maid working on Gracie's hair added her agreement and Gracie stepped down from the stool and into a pair of hard soled slippers Deirdre had provided.

"Wow…Gracie…you look BEAUTIFUL!"

Gracie felt her cheeks heat up and looked at herself. She was wearing a silky blue dress that…that looked like something out of Middle Earth. The fabric just seemed to flow across her like…like she was wearing water…and it FELT incredible. The piece was tight enough at the waist that the dressmaker hadn't decreed…yes, decreed…that she'd need a belt. One of the maids stepped up and handed Gracie the silvery grey shawl and draped it around her. Gracie turned towards the mirror…and for just a moment, her present circumstances didn't matter! She looked just like the women that she sang about! She felt…gorgeous.

"I think that dress is a perfect fit."

Gracie turned to see a smiling Princess Deirdre standing in the doorway. Today was kind of a big day. Gracie and Em were being presented to Deirdre's father for the first time, King Conchabar. According to Deirdre, Emily had explained their situation as far as she'd understood it, that they'd been separated from the rest of their family; and it…kind of said a lot for the kind of man this king was that he'd immediately sent out search parties to find the parents of a child.

And wherever…or whenever…Gracie suppressed a moan…they were, they didn't seem to have a problem with homosexuality. Gracie had almost had a heart attack when Deirdre had broached the subject. The twins were old enough to understand that in certain other parts of the country and world that Mom and Momma were seen as…controversial…but neither were the twins anything but proud of and devoted to their parents. If the family really HAD traveled in time…God, that would've been all that they would've needed.

"Princess…I…"

"Please call me Deidre," She turned and smiled at Em. "Both of you."

"Deirdre…thank you! You've been incredibly generous!"

"Consider it a gift…and this as well," She motioned for Gracie to turn around and face the mirror. Gracie's eyes darted down…and her jaw dropped slightly as Deidre unwound what looked like a copper chain attached to worked copper circle with a polished blue stone set in the center, surrounded by an intricate carved pattern. "My mother always said that it was always important to make a good first impression."

"Deirdre…I…"

"Think nothing of it. Now…unfortunately, I won't be able to escort you in. I need to be at my father's side when you enter; but Ivar is waiting outside as soon as you are ready."

Deirdre quickly left the room. There was really no point in wasting time. Gracie turned and thanked the dressmaker and maids for their help and held the door for Emily. The pair emerged into the hall and…standing outside was the young man from the courtyard. Deirdre had mentioned the name "Ivar" but it hadn't registered. After all, she'd never really come face to face with him while hearing the name. Before the dress fitting, Deirdre had explained that Prince Ivar was a visiting nobleman from a kingdom from the south, and one of her closest friends. Once again, Gracie couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up at the memory of the…way that smile had made her heart jump…and once again cursed those stupid genes Momma had passed on. Did anyone have any idea how hard it was to hide a blush when your cheeks almost turned purple?

Prince Ivar offered an elaborate bow. "Lady Gracie, Lady Emily, it is indeed a pleasure." He offered his hand…and it took every ounce of Gracie's will power to keep her hand from shaking. What the heck was wrong with her? Ivar leaned down and planted a kiss…that made a completely different part of her body heat up. "I'm to escort you to the throne room."

"I…think she's pleased to meet you," Emily murmured, her voice dripping with glee.

Gracie turned a dagger-eyed glare on her younger sister…and felt her stupid cheeks getting even hotter! She was going to KILL that little brat when they got back to Middleton, kill her dead and no jury in the world would convict her! The only saving grace was that Prince Ivar…appeared…to be far too proper to act like he saw anything amiss. All he did was gesture for them to follow.

"I must admit to a fair amount of curiosity, as does most of the castle," Ivar mentioned as they set of at a gently pace. "It is quite the coincidence that such guests as you should arrive at such a time. The kingdom is beginning their celebration of Ostara."

Oh…well that explained the festival outside, at least. Gracie was uncertain on some of the finer points of the Celtic holidays but she knew that Ostara had to do with spring and was always celebrated in conjunction with the Vernal E equinox. From all the music she'd studied, it definitely seemed like one of the more significant holidays.

"Will we get to go to the festival?" Emily squawked.

Gracie could see a smile form on the dark-skinned nobleman's face. "Why, it would be my honor and privilege to escort you both there myself."

"You hear that?" Emily whispered. "He said BOTH of us!"

The little creep started making a kissy face and Gracie promptly thumped her upside the head!

The trio marched up to a pair of guards standing in the doorway. The guards nodded to Prince Ivar and the three entered into what had to be the throne room. From what Gracie had seen of the castle so far, whoever built the place didn't really seem all that concerned with size when it came to rooms. You wouldn't call it claustrophobic…more like the architect set out with the deliberate plan to make use of every inch of space. The room was certainly lavishly decorated with bright tapestries and finely worked furniture and iron work; and those who inhabited the room seemed to be just as lavishly decorated in their own way. Deirdre was immediately recognizable, standing beside the throne. She flashed Gracie a smile. The man on the throne…or rather a well-made chair…had to be her father, King Conchabar. Boasting a thick beard, he looked to be dressed in a mixture of armor and furs, ending with a worked band of gold around his head, likely meant to be a crown. Despite all of the finery, he seemed to have a kind air about him. The more she looked, the more she saw something that reminded her of Grandpa Possible.

Ivar came to a halt in front of the throne, gave a respectful bow, and turned.

"Your majesty," Ivar breathed. "Allow me to present to you the Ladies Grace and Emily."

Now…how was she supposed to proceed? Gracie really had no idea what the proper greeting was so she bowed her head and gave a simply curtsy. It had just occurred to her that Em might be just as clueless but prayed that she was smart enough to follow her sister's lead. At least no one seemed overly insulted. She rose…and breathed a silent sigh of relief as she saw that the King was smiling.

"Welcome to Kells," The King gestured for both to rise. "My daughter has told me a great deal of you, Lady Grace. It is a pleasure. You and your sister are most welcome and safe in my kingdom for as long as you wish to stay."

"Thank you, your majesty," Gracie replied. "That means a lot. Forgive me but…your daughter…uh…Princess Deirdre had mentioned that you had sent out search parties for the rest of my family? Has…has there been any sign?"

"No apologies necessary," The King assured her. "Should any family of mine be in the same fates, I'd likely feel the same way. Regretfully, the patrols I sent out aren't due to return until dark; but I promise you that if they are anywhere in the area, you will be reunited with them."

Gracie thanked him…but after a long pause, began looking from person to person, once again unsure of exactly how to proceed. Part of her wanted to run directly out of the castle, find the nearest horse, and charge off in search of…ANY of her family; but…an equally large part of her wasn't sure it was wise to leave what family she already had alone in such a place as this. Each of the people she looked at sure didn't SEEM to be dangerous but…

… _better to miss an opportunity than to invite disaster_ …

Aunt Betty's voice echoed through her head. She wasn't going to leave Em. She'd give it until tomorrow.

King Conchabar must've seen the confusion on her face and cleared his throat. "Please forgive me, Lady Grace. Allow me to introduce my court," He gestured to the elderly man at his right. "Cathbad is my Wizard and chief advisor."

Cathbad gave a grandfatherly smile. "A pleasure, child."

King Conchabar proceeded to name the various faces. Deirdre and Ivar, of course, Gracie and Emily had already met but King Conchabar also introduced Angus, a black-haired semi-reformed pick-pocket standing next to Ivar, one more of the "Mystic Knights". Their leader, Rowan, the man with the very distinctive sword, was absent due to being out leading one of the search parties. At any rate, everyone seemed welcoming enough…

"Well," Deirdre stood up. "Until your family returns, it would be supremely rude of our kingdom not to show you its hospitality."

"Quite so," King Conchabar agreed. "It would be our honor if you would dine with us tonight."

"Well, Father, I actually had something a little more festive in mind," Deirdre smiled and turned to face Emily. "It's actually a splendid time for you to visit. We've just begun our festival of…"

"Ostara," Gracie blurted out. "The Festival of Spring."

"Deirdre's eyes hot up in pleasant surprise. "Uh…yes…indeed. The festival has only just begun and it would be an excellent opportunity to view the town. We…were actually on our way there before you arrived. It would be my pleasure to serve as your guide."

"Oh but Prince Ivar has already volunteered to be GRACIE'S guide," Emily smirked. "But I would LOVE to go with you!"

That little…Gracie was going to…her cheeks didn't just tinge purple. They GLOWED with it!

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I finally got to finish this chapter! Things have gotten very busy but finally I was able to find time to write. In case you hadn't notice, there just might be a bit of a crush developing. It's never said exactly how old the Mystic Knights are. From what I remember, the actors looked to be in their mid to late 20s but not only would that be a little creepy, not to mention illegal in this day and age, people of that looked to be that age would likely be a lot younger…so for the purposes of this story, I'm estimating them to be only slightly older that our heroine, 18 years give or take._


	16. Chapter 16

Well…she had officially had enough!

Everyone still seemed to be speaking that strange…but irritatingly familiar…language; but one thing that Shego had quickly learned was that "sadistic" didn't even come close to describing these people, the woman in charge in particular. God help her, this woman made Bonnie Rockwaller look like a temperamental girl scout! What Shego was sure of, though, was that that crystal was definitely the source of that meta-human "tickle" that she was feeling. Shego wasn't the only one housed in this loony bin and Miss Sunshine seemed to take a sick personal pleasure in "interrogating" her prisoners herself. While she hadn't physically seen any of the affairs, a pair of new arrivals had been housed in the cell exactly opposite her. Whoever the two poor souls were, they certainly had the look of soldiers…and ones that had definitely seen better days.

The surprise had come when the pair was sure they were alone. One of them started madly signaling for Shego's attention, whispering in that weird language…but one single word in English had slipped through; "Emily". Shego was so surprised she hadn't been sure she'd heard it correctly but as soon as the man saw the look of recognition, he stuck with it. He knew where her daughter was! And…and it almost seemed like these guys were here to find Shego herself.

It had taken a good deal of creativity and recognizing a few words she had no idea HOW she knew but she'd at least managed to learn that they had been sent by…someone…who had Emily to find Shego. They kept pointing at the symbol stitched on their tunic. Shego wasn't about to refuse help…

…which was how they found themselves in their present situation; Shego peeked around the cell door at the retreating guard. She REALLY felt like burning something! With a snap of her finger, a wisp of plasma wreathed her thumb like the tip of a blowtorch. She breathed deep, completely impervious to the white hot flame, and began dragging her thumb across the iron bars, sliding through them like a hot knife through butter. The smell of molten metal and the crackling that went with it filled the room. Slowly and delicately she sliced a man-sized circle in the bars and winced as the full weight of the newly liberated iron fell back onto her. Shego liked to think that she was in excellent shape for…older than she'd ever admit, but she felt her spine crack as she shifted to lean the iron against the wall. No way to tell if anyone had heard that…but she'd operate as if they did.

"Stand back," Shego breathed without thinking as the plasma spread onto her entire fist. She took a calming breath and grasped the lock. She squeezed and the solid piece of iron began to drip around her hand. She pulled and the lock came free.

"Heh, just call me the key master."

The two men in the cell eyed each other, clearly missing her joke.

By now, the guard on duty had clued into the fact that something was going on. One of her friends gave a shout and Shego narrowly dodged a sword strike. The two prisoners rushed on him and threw him against the wall. She couldn't help but wince as she heard a _crunch_ as the man's skull made contact with the stone wall. A wince…but little more than that; from what she'd seen, none of the guards batted an eyelash at the treatment their leaders doled out. One of the pair snatched up the guard's sword and the other grabbed a set o keys. One by one the cells were thrown open and men in varying degrees of health climbed out. Many were going to need a good doctor and several days of solid meals but Shego couldn't help but respect that most of these men seemed to hold up against some pretty bad torture.

Those who could walk helped those who couldn't and everyone fell in line behind Shego. She was more than a little out of her element but when you were in the basement…the best direction to go was usually up.

"Up" actually turned out to be no simple task; Shego felt as if they'd gone up at least two more levels before she had even seen a window. Getting her first look at the outside world, it looked like she was still in Ireland; LOOKED like. The window looked to be right above ground level and Shego took a moment to survey her surroundings. The number of armed…well…armed with swords…men gave her a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The window DID, however, provide an excellent view of a small stable…with an antiquated horse and cart. God…WHAT was going on here? Everything looked like Shego had been sucked into one big SCA reenactment; what she wouldn't have given for a pick-up right now. Hell, she'd even take a mini-van…but the cart would have to do. If they could thin out the herd, that could vice them an opening…but one misstep and they'd be thrown into a veritable hornet's nest. She pulled one of her cohorts to the window.

"There," She just couldn't help herself, despite knowing full well that they couldn't understand her. She pointed at some of the wounded. "Put the wounded in the cart. The rest of us," She motioned around the staircase, "will saddle whatever horses we can find and provide cover."

He seemed to understand…and Shego didn't feel as stupid. It looked like he couldn't help himself either. Where HAD she heard that language before…but she caught her daughter's name again…and he was gesturing in…some direction…Shego couldn't get a good look at the sun; but if her baby girl was in that direction, that's where she was going!

The clatter of metal plates froze everyone in their tracks as they approached the top of the stairs. Shego knelt down and began creeping on silent feet towards the source. Decades of training took over as the seasoned thief and killer popped up and wrapped her arms around the armored man's neck. Shego gave a sharp twist and felt a _snap_ as the man's head flopped around. Two of her companions rushed up and caught the falling corpse, dragging him to some out of the way hall. These guys were actually pretty on the spot.

"One down," Shego breathed as she advanced towards the door. "Several dozen more to go!"

She peaked out around a corner into the courtyard The air had been damp and stale back in the dungeon. The fresh spring air filled her lungs and she felt a new surge of energy spread through her. That never smelled so good! Her eyes darted towards their mode of escape. There were only six or so henchmen moving about the stables…but the far greater concern was the rest scattered about. Apart from the stable, Shego could see at least a dozen henchmen scattered across a crude medieval training ground, training with everything from swords and spears to bows and slings. She could see at least four men standing guard at the front gate and another two perched at the top, armed with bows. Those two would have to be her first targets. If they could just silence the guys in the stable, the others would be so caught by surprise that they wouldn't be able to stop them.

Shego turned to look at her fighting force. By now nearly everyone had been equipped with at least some kind of weapon, a sword, a pair of daggers, a stray bow and quiver of arrows. She needed to be able to move fast…but she couldn't do this alone either. Her gaze settled on the two immediately behind her, the first pair she'd freed.

"You two come with me."

Without checking to see if they'd followed, Shego darted up to the archway. She peeked around the corner. Everyone seemed to be more or less where they'd been before…which didn't give heart. What they needed was some kind of distraction, just to get her party out to some cover…but what could they do? If she lobbed a plasma ball or a bolt, that would be far from subtle. A fire would be a good start. All of the buildings had thatch roofs and wood walls which would make for a cozy bonfire…if she could only…

Shego took a deep breath. There was only one option and she knew it. Being a meta-human…or rather mastering your meta-human abilities was a lot like…well…parenting. Just when you think you've gotten it figured out, you stumble onto something new. Immediately after the comet strike when her family's meta-human powers started manifesting themselves, the children were divided. Henry and Mel's abilities were rather simple. After all, how exactly could super strength or shrinking be that complex? With Shego and the twins, however…even today, Shego was always discovering some new ability or aspect of her plasma abilities. While she could generate the plasma, once it was generated, she could almost…control…it, guide it. She was…fifteen was it? Anyway, Henry had been being especially infuriating and Shego had just…visualized it…like a daydream. She'd imagined a jet of plasma snaking its way through the yard completely within her control, heading straight for Henry's foot. Before she even knew what was happening, it was like she was there, at the head of the plasma bolt, wreathed in flame and riding the thing like some kind of bucking bronco. She zoomed across the lawn and darted towards a looming Henry and when she was just on the verge of colliding with him…everything went dark. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious but the next thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital bed with Mel standing vigil. Shego had an IV in her arm and tubes in her nose. Whatever she had done, she'd come close to having a brain aneurism! The doctors had said that if Mel had been any later getting her there…

From that moment on, despite her training with numerous senseis, Shego could count on one hand the number of times she'd even attempted what she was about to do.

God, she didn't have much choice; and if they waited much later, it was going to be moot. Shego began taking short easy breaths and planted her hand at the base of the wall. It didn't have to be big…but it was going to be long. Slowly Shego began to feel her core heat up, plasma coursing through every fiber of her body. She generated more and more until it felt like she was a glowing green sun. Just as she felt like she was on the verge of imploding…a beam of plasma shot out from her hand and began snaking its way across the ground. Even now, the sensation was indescribable. The beam juked and jived around anything in its path.

 _The shack_ , Shego breathed, willing her little friend forward.

The beam snaked up a stone wall…and a cloud of smoke began to seep out of the thatch roof.

The breath rushed out of her like someone had socked her in the gut. She felt like she'd just clocked out of a marathon workout…she touched her head…and she had what was without a doubt the worst hangover of her life. Her hand slid down to her nose, dabbing at the expected nose bleed. Her eyes slowly returned to the scene before her. The shack's roof had become a blazing inferno. All of the guards around were rushing towards the blaze, trying to organize some semblance of a firefighting effort.

Her limbs felt like jelly but Shego motioned her two companions up. Shego continued to be amazed at how her accomplices were able to grasp the plan. The pair moved forward, hugging the wall until they were just inside the stable. The two darted in!

The seconds ticked by like years. Another one of the party had joined her, curious as to their progress. Shego's eyes never left the window her "scouts" had climbed through. Just a she was finally ready to charge off, a head popped up and began motioning them over. The new arrival seemed to have gotten the message. He darted back and soon returned with the rest of the party.

Shego took the group in. They had to do this fast but the parties had to be small enough not to be noticed. She motioned two of them holding a wounded comrade. She ducked back around the corner. Her scout motioned for her to move and she gave the first group the signal. The trio slowly made the crossing. Three and four at a time, the freed prisoners made their dash for the stable. Shego's numbers dwindled until Shego alone remained. She took one last look and leapt out. Thank God she'd elected to go last. She was only just beginning to regain the feeling in her limbs. Shego crouched behind a bale of hay and checked on the fire. From what she could see, their captors hadn't made much progress. Shego hopped over the bale and dove through the window.

"Ni fhaca an Temrans rud!" The watchman laughed as he steadied her.

Her team had indeed been busy. Not only were the wounded stowed securely on the wagon but nearly every horse in the stable had been saddled. Her companion led her to a freshly saddled pony. She'd been running the next step over in her head. When last she looked, the gates were still open. Once they cleared the stable doors, Shego would through a little blaze to cover their escape.

"MOUNT UP," Shego breathed.

Two of the men began hauling the doors open…and all Hell broke loose. Shego spurred the pony forward and hurled a plasma ball directly at the already burning building. A tremor went through the ground as the plasma exploded in a flurry of debris. Shego turned in the saddle to hurl another at the two guards standing atop the wall. Behind her a mass of horses charged with the cart shortly behind them. Content with the chaos, Shego circled around to the rear of the column.

"MOVE!" She shouted over the roar of crowd.

Building up speed, the wagon charged through the open gate and out into the country. Shego turned. Now to keep them from following; her concentration was still a little weak but she built up a ball of plasma, bigger and bigger. She took aim at the gate, gave a heaving throw…

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

King Conchabar, seated at the head of the table, stood and raised his mug.

"A toast of the finest nectar," He cheered, motioning to Gracie with Em seated next to her. "To our honored guests; may they find nothing but peace in our homeland."

The room erupted in a cheer and Gracie smiled, tipping her glass. She elbowed Emily to do the same. It hadn't been many but Gracie HAD been to a few state dinners with her parents. They'd made it abundantly clear that it was the worst kind of insulting to make light of your host's cuisine and dining etiquette. Be that as it may, Gracie HAD read one of the history books Mom wrote about Ancient Rome…and she could only imagine the faces Uncle Ron would make if he ever saw some of the dishes the Romans or the Britons charitably called food…so she couldn't deny a few nerves herself. She raised the mug to her nose and took a whiff. It had a very sweet aroma. She took a sip…her eyes shot open! This was INCREDIBLE! It tasted sweet enough to give her diabetes from a single sip but…she couldn't help but down the rest of the mug in two gulps.

Deirdre let out a small laugh and Gracie felt the color fill her cheeks.

"Uh…forgive me; it's…VERY good, like nothing I've ever tasted."

The King smiled and waved a servant forward who quickly refilled her mug.

The food actually turned out to be far less unusual than she'd expected. Their main dish was some kind of meat, she couldn't exactly tell what but it WAS something she'd eaten before. The dish was rather heavily seasoned with some herbs that Gracie couldn't place. The whole thing was actually quite good and Gracie didn't feel at all embarrassed about asking for seconds. Plates of wild berries were passed around as were plates of what Gracie thought was some kind of grilled parsnip. The whole thing was actually very good, a lot better than what Irish cooking was traditionally made out to be.

As the food was passed around, so were questions. Nearly everyone seated at the table posed a question to Gracie and Emily in between bites. Well…Gracie couldn't exactly blame them…but she had to be very careful about how she…and especially Emily…answered them. If they really HAD traveled through time…ignoring their table manners would've been the least of their worries.

"I must say, Pennsylvania sounds like a fascinating realm," Prince Ivar mentioned as he accepted another mug of nectar.

Gracie felt her pulse quicken. That dazzling smile and those chestnut brown eyes just…what the heck was wrong with her? She was…heck, she might as well say she was in another time, her parents, governess, sister, and brother were missing…and here she was, fawning over some…ebony god…like a pre-teen at a Boyz 2 Souls concert? Even if there WASN'T a…even thinking about the word "age difference" gave her a headache…the whole point of coming to Ireland was to get her mind off of relationships. She knew absolutely nothing about this guy but when she looked at him…her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

"I guess it suits us well enough," She replied simply. "Our family's lived there for over 300 years and…its home."

"300?" Deirdre gasped. "Yours must be a greatly respected and noble line among your people!"

"Well…to be perfectly honest, there aren't nobles where we come from." Gracie had to be very careful in how she explained this. She knew enough history to know that the ancient Greeks more or less invented democracy but…how did you explain that kind of thing to a room full of people that, for all intents and purposes, were located on the opposite side of the world from them? The only way she could think to put it was that Pennsylvania "ruled" by a council elected from the people. All matters of justice and law went before the council and were voted on.

"We're the land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!" Em stated proudly.

A chuckle went around the room.

"I'm sure there are none braver, Lady Emily," King Conchabar smiled. "Traders have brought rumors of lands ruled in such a way, far to the East."

The questions persisted so Gracie began telling them about the American Revolution. She did well enough in history, it was ONE of Mom's Master's Degrees, and, being the cradle of America, most everyone in PA could speak on that subject to some degree or another. King Conchabar listened as Gracie spoke about her and Emily's ancestor, Charles Possible, who commanded a company of Pennsylvania militia at the Battle of Trenton. There were several gasps as Gracie conveyed that the army had won the day without losing a single man. Gracie walked them through Princeton, King's Mountain, and the siege of Yorktown.

Growing more comfortable with the crowd, Gracie'd begun attempting to explain the US Constitution when a soldier clattered into the throne room.

"I… _gasp_ …beg your pardon… _gasp_ …your majesty…"

"Take your time, boy. Catch your breath."

"Thank you…sir…! I…I come bearing a message from the outer forts. There's been an escape…from Queen Maeve's castle, over 20 men!"

A rumble went through the room.

"By the three," King Conchabar breathed. "How…when…"

"We're not sure, my King," The soldier continued. "But…" Gracie felt a chill go down her spine as the man's eyes settled on her. "My King, all reports say that one of them," He nodded at Gracie, "is with them. They'll be here within minutes!"

Gracie couldn't remember getting to her feet but before she knew it, her fork had clattered to the table and she was up and running.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

… _KIMMIE…_

… _GRACIE…_

… _ZOE…_

… _EMILY…_

… _NICKY…_

The names kept repeating in her head, over and over again like a chant. Her wife, her children…they were gone and she had to find them; but she didn't know where. Shego tried to move but her body felt like it was encased in steel, keeping her from moving even an inch. She couldn't move but at the same time, she felt like she was floating.

"…much longer…"

Her eyes burst open, blinded by a golden light surrounding her. She…she had to find her family! She'd escaped from…that castle…she'd used her…

"I…I have to find…them…" Shego gasped, trying to force her way up.

"…barely hanging on…steady…"

Her head fell back to the surface with a painful thump, knocking her out of consciousness again.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

They'd found…someone!

Gracie's heart was racing like a bullet as she turned around corner after corner. They'd been imprisoned in a castle…by someone called Maeve. From what Gracie'd been able to piece together in the village, she was some kind of major figure in a neighboring kingdom, one that Kells had been warring with for years. Those in the village all seemed to speak of the woman in hushed tones, like she was some kind of demon witch. She'd have rolled her eyes at that but…given what she'd ALREADY seen, "demon witch" might not be too far off.

But that still meant that a monster like that had been holding Mom or Momma or…oh God…what if it was Zoe…or…or NICKY? The thought of her baby brother in the hands of someone like that…she didn't care if the woman WAS magic; if she did anything to hurt Gracie's baby brother…she…she couldn't think like that! Whatever had happened…they were going to be here in moments! If they were hurt…at least with everything that had happened, Gracie could likely use her powers without anyone batting an eyelash.

She burst through the massive oak doors and emerged into the courtyard, nearly crashing into two spearmen. Her eyes jumped to the front gate leading to the village. Guards leaped out of her path as she tore across the yard and through the gates. She skidded to a halt as she saw a pair of wagons and a mass of horsemen riding through the gate. A horse darted ahead of the rest and began charging through the village. Gracie skidded to a halt as the horse reared back on its hind legs. Seated in the saddle was a thoroughly travel-worn Rowan, the leader of the Mystic Knights. Seeing who was before him, he quickly dismounted.

"Lady, I trust you received our rider?"

"Where…who did you…"

"The dark haired woman, your mother," He breathed, wiping a smudge of dirt from his face. "She was the one who freed them. She…she did things that I've only seen Fairies do."

So…it was Momma they had found; and by the sounds of it, she'd used her plasma powers to get her and the prisoners out. Knowing Momma, she had to have put one heck of a dent in wherever they were holding her if not burned it to the ground. But Momma was okay; that was still good news and Gracie felt her muscles relaxing a little. Rowan turned and the pair watched as the column began getting closer to the castle gates. As they moved through the village, Gracie relaxed even more. Word had begun to spread through town and children and women began flocking to the street. Every so often, even at this distance, Gracie could hear cries of joy and see a child or woman rush up and wrap their arms around what had to be a lover or father they'd thought gone forever. Momma…Momma did that! Gracie could even feel the makings of a smile spreading to her lips.

Rowan must've seen the smile on her face.

"Many in the village are seeing sons, fathers, and husbands that they thought lost forever," He replied. "Precious few have ever escaped from Temra castle and lived to tell the tale. Your mother…brought happiness to many tonight."

She couldn't explain it but there was something about what he said…a catch in his breath…that made Gracie turn. All of a sudden, she felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. The horsemen came to a halt in front of them and…Gracie could see the look of concern on many of their faces…

…no…

…NO…

Gracie burst away from Rowan. She had no idea what made her choose the second wagon but Gracie leaped up, her gown tearing on the edge. Her blood went cold! Momma was…white! She'd always been pale skinned but…she was absolutely white! There were streaks of blood under her nose and…and next to her eyes! Gracie could make out a crudely bandaged wound on her shoulder but…she sunk to her knees.

"No…" Tears began falling from her eyes as she knelt down. "Momma…oh God…Momma…"

"By Dagda…" She could vaguely make out Princess Deirdre crying. "What…what happened?"

"The woman…has powers like I've never seen, Princess," One of the men replied. "She used them to free us. She…the Gods know how but she cast a spell and burned those Temra bastards alive. I…I think it might have been…too much for her."

"Make way, clear the way," Cathbad quickly emerged. "Mercy of Airmed…get her inside, quickly!"

"NO!" Gracie barked.

Everything happening behind her may as well not have been happening but that last rang crystal clear. Momma was…she was dying…and…she didn't have much time left! She closed her eyes and tried to focus.

 _Gather it inward like sunlight cascading across your skin. Feel it flow through every fiber, like a river cascading down a mountain. Continue the flow; pass it into the body of another._

Gracie took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She couldn't see it but she knew that to any outside observer, she was wreathed in a golden light. She pressed her hands against Momma…and she saw it. Each injury she'd tried to heal appeared to her differently. This one was…like nothing she'd ever seen before. She was standing in a pool…at least what she thought was a pool…in the middle of some kind of forest or glade. She was in water up to her waste but she didn't feel at all wet. She looked around and saw that she was surrounded by…glowing orbs…of varying sizes, swirling around her. It was night…and the orbs seemed to be flashing, like a sky full of enormous twinkling stars.

Among the stars…it was incredibly faint…she could see that she was at the bottom of…it looked like some kind of orb itself. Glowing golden lines circled and crisscrossed, and formed a dome above her. As she studied it, she could see what looked like hundreds of circles in the dome. The spheres had to…her hand shot out at a passing sphere about the size of a baseball. It felt…heavy…but she heaved it towards one of the circles. The orb sailed across the dome like a shooting star and came to a halt in the center of the circle. It gave an enormous flash and became a steady glow.

That was it! That was what she had t do!

One by one, she snatched the glowing orbs out of the air and hurled them towards what she thought was the right spot. Every one of them seemed to fit exactly where she hurled it…so she didn't question it. Each orb seemed to be different. It could be the size of a pebble and feel as heavy as a cannon ball or be almost half her size and feel as light as a feather. Both of her hands shot out, snatching an orb in each hand. She was beginning to feel the weight in her arms but she threw them towards the dome.

… _Momma…_

… _can't…give…up…_

She had to keep going! She snatched another orb, this one about the size of a watermelon, and heaved it upwards. She grabbed another and…her arm felt like it was made of lead…she threw it against the wall.

Only a few more…she had to keep going…

Gracie could barely lift her arms but…one more…there was only one more! Using every scrap of strength that she had left, she heaved her hands up and wrapped her fingers around the last remaining orb, no bigger than an apple. Her arms felt like they were going to give out but…Gracie let out a gasping scream and hurled it behind her. It was all she had left. With a cough, she fell backwards into the pool, unconscious and floating on her back.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

She…could feel…

With a great heave, Shego shot up from the cart, gasping for breath! She…she'd been leading the escape from the castle and…the last thing she remembered was her plasma ball and…everything was so fuzzy after that. She needed to…she looked down and…

"GRACIE!"

Oh God…NO! Shego wrapped her arms around her eldest daughter. She was barely breathing!

"…had to…save…you…dying…"

"Shhhhhhh, save your strength, muffin!" Shego breathed.

She looked around…and had to be hallucinating. Everyone around her looked to be some kind of SCA reject. One of them actually looked like some kind of off-kilter Gandalf impersonator. Right now, though, she wasn't about to be choosy with her help!

"Please," She cried. "Somebody call an ambulance! GO!"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Boy, this one took me a long time. My job's been going through a few changes for the better that have been keeping me pretty busy._

 _I especially liked writing the scene with Gracie's healing abilities. The whole time, I was picturing the cut scene from Final Fantasy X where Tidus and Yuna are in the pond after the party rescues Yuna from having to marry Meyster Seymour. All of those scenes were so well done and the music was absolutely entoxicating._


	17. Chapter 17

Deirdre gazed into the bedchamber of the unconscious Lady Grace and the watchful vigil kept by her mother. The events of the previous night had indeed proven to be a whirlwind. One could hardly fault Lady Grace for reacting the way she did upon hearing that one of her family had been recovered. Had Deirdre been in that position, she would most assuredly have reacted the same…but the news of the escape from Temra had been nothing short of extraordinary! Deirdre had been excited enough at the prospect of meeting more of the Possible clan but the liberation of over 20 of Father's soldiers…she'd thought that this Ostara would be remembered forever! Alas, that had been until she'd heard Lady Grace's scream.

What followed next was…indescribable!

Deirdre's ears perked at the sound of fluttering wings. She turned to see Aideen settling on her shoulder.

"Few men have I seen demonstrate the courage that she showed at a moment's notice," Deirdre sighed as she turned back to the bedchamber. "Not only that…her mother…her mother brought over 20 sons and fathers back to their families."

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Aideen squeaked, her voice awash with concern. Aideen was often so child-like in her innocence. Sometimes it was hard to believe that the little fairy had lived longer and seen more already than Deidre would see in a dozen lifetimes.

As if in answer that very question, Lady Grace gave a stir. Deirdre let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding…and suddenly held it again. She didn't want Lady Grace's mother to think that she was spying on her. Her mother began speaking in that strange language and Ladies Grace and Emily spoke in upon first arriving. Things had moved very fast in the wake of Lady Possible's rescue. She'd been speaking that strange language but…it had been very clear what she'd wanted after Lady Grace had managed to heal her. No one had really thought much of it at the time. At least now that it looked as if her new friend was going to pull through, Deirdre began thinking. If her father or the rest of Kells was going to be of any help to the Possible clan, there would have to be a method of communication; but, according to Lady Emily, her mother could wield fire…and if she were to react to Aideen the way that Lady Grace had…

The whispered a few words to Aideen and the little fairy fluttered off into the room. Aideen began waiving her hands and Deirdre could see her lips moving in a chant. Specks of faint light began to appear and with a word, Aideen sent them fluttering towards Lady Possible.

"…going to be just fine, muffin!"

"Muffin" had to be a special name she had for Lady Grace. Aideen must've been able to sense what Deirdre was thinking…for all she knew, Aideen could probably read her mind…but the little fairy gave an exasperated sigh and disappeared.

Deirdre cleared her throat. Lady Possible gave a little jump, as if she hadn't even been aware of anyone else in the room.

"Forgive me, Lady Possible," Deirdre hefted the folded dress that she'd kept in her left arm. Lady Possible had been dressed in very much the same bizarre manner that her children had been in…but after the Gods knew how long in Maeve's dungeon and what she had done for Kells, a change of clothes was the very least Deirdre could do. "I've brought you something to change in to."

"Oh…uh…" She looked down at the tattered remains of her garments as if realizing for the first time that she was clad in little more than rags. "Thanks. I guess I didn't realize what a state I was in."

She got up and took the offered dress. Deirdre got her first chance to get a good look at the woman. She was tall for a woman, flowing black albeit a little disheveled. She also had the same unusual skin color as Lady Grace. It was rather pale but…when looked at in the right light, it almost looked to have a green tint to it. She shed the rags and began sliding her legs into the brown dress. Deirdre would also put her age at only a few years younger than her father, about the age that Mother would be.

Lady Possible reached behind her back and tied the strings, hugging her bosom. She looked herself up and down.

"Wow, I…I look like an extra from a Robin Hood movie," She laughed as she ran her hands down the dress, smoothing it out. "I bet Gracie's right at home here." She looked up. "Oh…I'm sorry," Lady Possible gave a formal bow. "It's an honor, Princess Deirdre. I…I can't thank you enough for taking my daughters in. You'd…you'd have to be a mother to know how much it truly means to me."

"Oh…the honor was ours entirely," Deidre returned the bow. Deirdre couldn't help but notice how…different…Lady Grace's mother was behaving. Apart from her…unusual…appearance, she looked…and ACTED as if she had been a member of Father's court her entire life. How HAD these people gotten here? Deirdre's eyes sunk to Lady Grace. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine," She turned back towards her daughter. "Whatever your doctor or…medicine man…did, it looks like he…he did it just in time." She took a deep breath and her hand sunk down to Grace's shoulder. Deirdre could barely make out the next words. "When pain and illness are her companions, let there be room in her heart for strength. When the nights and days are full of darkness, let there be strength. Help her endure her suffering…and dissolve her fear. Hear my prayer, Lord."

It sounded like a prayer of some kind, but none that Deirdre had ever heard…and she made no mention of any specific God or Goddess. To err on the side of caution, she offered a quick prayer to Airmed.

"She's going to be fine," Lady Possible repeated, patting her daughter lightly on the shoulder. She heaved a sigh. "Gotta wonder why we can never get through a freaking holiday without this crap. Ah…forgive me, Princess. I…my daughter has a tendency to…it takes everything I've got sometimes to keep her from going too far."

"Ah, I know just such a daughter!"

Deirdre spun as Father appeared behind her.

"Lady Possible, I am King Conchabar," Father smiled and gave a small bow of his head. "I wanted to thank you personally for the tremendous service you have done the people of my kingdom."

"Your majesty…believe me; there's no thanks necessary. What was being done to them…I…I couldn't leave them there!"

"Nonetheless, you have my thanks," Father smiled and looked towards Lady Grace. "If your daughter is indeed mending…I'd very much like for us to speak more. I'm afraid that we are all still at a bit of a loss for your presence here."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Time Travel; honest to Almighty God Time Travel; that was the only explanation!

As Shego walked through the halls of the castle, eyes taking in every square inch as she passed by it, that was the only conclusion that she could make! Whatever it was that was happening to the twins back at the house…it had to have caused some kind of…black hole…temporal shift…or whatever that had sent Shego and Gracie back to…she had absolutely no idea when! But…had the twins…she and Kim had been talking about them maybe manifesting…Shego's mind was running a mile a minute. She felt her mouth go dry as the numerous catastrophes played through her head, not to mention the catastrophe that was their present situation. As she looked at the clothes, the furnishings, everybody's clothes…as she SMELLED the air, the whole place just SCREAMED Middle Ages, probably even earlier.

And Emily…and Zoe…had done it. That was the only explanation! She and Kim had only been talking about the twins developing…and it turned out to be mother fucking TIME TRAVEL? One daughter could heal literally any injury…and the rest could travel through time! This was just perfect!

"Lady Possible?"

Shego jumped as she was pulled out of her musings. She looked around and saw that she was in what had to be the throne room. King Conchabar had taken a seat and was motioning for her to do the same. She gave a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, your Highness," She replied as she sat in the offered chair. "I'm still…trying to make sense of all of this."

"As are we," He returned her smile. "The people of my kingdom have seen many amazing things but…few such as you, especially based on what my men have said about you. You don't…LOOK…like a fairy but you sure seem to have the powers of one."

Fairy?

"That's…a bit of a long story, King Conchabar. I've had these powers since I was a small child. I'm what my people call a…a Meta. It's sort of like," She thought for a moment. She'd had the scientific explanation memorized since she was a teenager but…the finer points of genetic science was probably not something which these people were familiar with. "I think…I think the best way to explain it would be to…to compare you to an eagle and I was a hawk. Both creatures are in the same family but with a few…differences. My daughter has similar abilities and…I can't say about my other children." Shego suddenly realized what she'd said. "King Conchabar, I'll do anything to protect my children. I've just escaped from someone who makes my worst adversary look like a child by comparison," She felt her grip tighten on the side of the chair. "I think you're different. Your people don't seem to have harmed either of my daughters…but if any harm should come to them…your soldiers have seen what I can do."

Okay…she may have laid it on a little thick. Whoever these people were, they DID seem to have taken excellent care of them. And Shego didn't get even the slightest bad vibe from Princess Deirdre, even WITH that little Meta tingle back there.

"Lady Possible…I'd like to think that if I were sitting where you were, I'd be ready to do the same thing to protect my daughter," It must not have been TOO thick. "I give you my word and whatever else I can offer that no one in my kingdom will harm you or your children…but your former captor is one of the reasons I wanted an audience." The king took a deep breath. "The woman who held you is Maeve, Queen of Temra. Our two lands have been at war for many years. The dark spirits that aid her have only made her more dangerous."

Dark spirits? Okay, that statement was pretty much on par with where Shego found herself. It was probably another 500 years until there would be any science that she could recognize, maybe more. Little Miss Sunshine back there DID make the worst supervillain she'd ever faced look like a little girl at a tea party; but Shego HAD felt another Meta powers coming from that crystal.

She'd never really thought about it but…that comet that struck the family treehouse was…unlike any astronomical event in recorded history. The scientists that used to flock over her as a kid made that abundantly clear; but "recorded history"…she'd talked to a couple of the science teachers at the school and the first "meteor strike" was sometime in 1492 but…wow…she'd never really thought about it but…what if…what if the meteor that hit the tree house wasn't the first one? What if that stone on Sunshine's stick was a shard of…of another meteor?

"Yeah," Shego breathed as she took the offered seat. "I think I may know what you're talking about."

"Are there…many more like you where you come from?"

Shego let out a small laugh. "Only my brothers and I; forgive me, your majesty. It's kind of hard to explain. Something happened to us when I was very young. I've had this…blessing and curse…ever since. But if it hadn't been for my powers, I never would've met Gracie's mother, never would've had Gracie or my other children…oh God," Shego swallowed a gasp and rubbed her temple. "I don't even know where to start looking for them." Kimmie, Zoe…Nicky…Nicky could be out there…all alone…freezing cold…without…without his Momma to protect him…to keep him warm. She'd tried with every fiber of her being to hold it back but she could feel a tear roll down her cheek.

"Lady Possible, I…I can't imagine what you must be feeling; but I swear to you…if they are on this island, if it takes everything my kingdom possesses, I will help you find them. My captains are still sending out search bands and they will keep searching until there is nowhere else to look."

Shego took a deep breath. "I…thank you, your Majesty. I DO appreciate it."

"It is an honor," The king smiled and bowed his head. "You and your family are our honored guests for as long as you wish it. You are here at an important time. Our people are celebrating…"

"…Ostara, the Spring Festival," Shego interrupted without even thinking about it. The king's eyebrows rose in surprise. She…it was probably best to try to attempt to explain time travel in a situation like this. "I…heard many in the castle talking about it. I've got to admit, it sounds like exactly the kind of thing that Gracie would love, something to help her get her mind off things."

"Lady Grace isn't well?" The king asked. "I mean…has she been having difficulties."

"Well…something like that. Gracie's sweetheart had broken things of with her and…"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Oh man…her head…

Gracie let out a groan as she tried to open her eyes. She felt like someone had taken a few whacks to her head with a baseball bat after getting off an hour-long stint on the tilt-a-whirl. Her eyelids slowly opened and her eyes began to adjust to the light. The last thing she remembered was eating dinner…with King Conchabar and Princess Deirdre…; as her eyes began to adjust, she could see that she was in the room they'd given to her. At least it wasn't somewhere strange…well…stranger than ancient Ireland, at any rate. What…what else wasn't she remembering? There was something that had happened during…she just couldn't…

"You're awake!"

She blinked several times to clear the cobwebs from her eyes…and tried to sit right up, much to her immediate regret. The smiling face of Prince Ivar was looking down on her. Once again, she couldn't explain it, but her heart immediately started thumping like a car stereo.

"Slowly, Lady Grace, slowly," She felt his strong hands try to guide her back down to the bed. "If you were to do yourself greater harm, I fear for my safety if your mother were to find out."

MOMMA! The pounding headache and nausea were the farthest from her mind right now! They'd found Momma…and she was dying! THAT was what Gracie was trying to remember! Momma had been dying and…and Gracie had used her powers and…she had to find out what happened!

"I…Momma…where is she? I…I…have to find her! I…"

Her legs felt like the bones had been removed and replaced with pudding. Her legs collapsed beneath her and she hit the hardwood floor with a painful thump.

"I…I gotta find her…got…to…save her…"

"Lady…Lady…your mother is fine! You saved her life!"

Gracie felt Prince Ivar's arms slide beneath her. With barely an effort, she felt herself being lifted up into the air. With a delicacy that, even in her half-dazed state, Gracie couldn't help but be surprised by, Prince Ivar hefted her up in his arms and carried her back towards the bed and set her on the straw mattress.

"Oh God," Gracie groaned, trying to catch her breath. "I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"Your mother said that you would be very weak. I really WOULD hate for you to take a turn for the worse while I am around."

Gracie tried to twist a knot out of her neck. Her breathing began to return to normal. Momma…was okay. God…she'd passed out before while healing people but…how badly was Momma hurt? Gracie had never felt THIS bad before and…were those flowers? She managed to push herself up to a small sitting position. On the stand next to her bed was a vase filled with…were those Burnet Roses? Those…those were her favorite flower. The only place Gracie had ever found them was this small flower shop in Lowerton. Mom had a bush of them growing out behind the house.

"Um…your sister said they were your favorite. I thought…you'd like to see them when you woke up."

He thought that…Gracie could feel her cheeks starting to color again. "I…that's…that so sweet! Thank you! You…you certainly know how to charm a girl!"

Gracie couldn't deny that it felt at least a little better to see HIM blush this time.

"So…how long have I been out…uh…asleep?"

"A little less than a day," He replied, coughing in embarrassment. "Maybe a little longer; Cathbad has been making potions to help you through."

Now that he mentioned it, Gracie had a really funky aftertaste in her mouth. She wondered what…oh God…what was in those "potions"? She could only GUESS what passed for medicine in this day and age, let alone what passed for medicine here. Gracie could remember a cheerleader at school who was a walking billboard for "natural medicines and remedies". She always used to brag about her skin cream…and Gracie didn't bother denying that she LOVED telling the pretentious little princess that the key ingredient of her "skin cream" was actually weasel pee. Hehe…Cindy Mossbocker turned three shades of green before she let out a blood curdling scream that could wake the dead.

Probably best not to think about that right now.

"Heh…you've got to wonder if my family can EVER take a normal vacation," She giggled as she leaned against the straw pillow.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh," Gracie sighed. "I'm sorry. Uh…vacation is another word for holiday. My parents took my sisters and brother and I on holiday."

Gracie proceeded to explain what had brought them to Ireland. She told him a little more about life back in Pennsylvania. He remembered plenty of their conversation at dinner but…strangely enough, Gracie found it much harder to explain day to day life in suburban America than it was to explain the US Constitution. How the heck did she even begin to explain cars, aircraft…heck, she was even having trouble explaining the concept of high school. After a few minutes, she instead decided to just pick one subject and stick with it, which wound up being the Gang from Galway. As it turned out, music was an integral part of Prince Ivar's society and his time in Ireland had also given him an appreciation for the local tunes.

"There's just something about music that brings me peace," Gracie sighed, as she took a mug of water that he poured for her. "My music teacher always said that next to the word of…of the Gods, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Aideen peeked around the window at the strange fairy talking with Ivar. She had never seen a fairy like that before! She was as big as a human and…she spoke of such strange things. Aideen had been listening to her speak of this…basket ball…some kind of game that she played with other humans. Aideen couldn't quite imagine this high school either. It sounded like some place where humans went to learn things. This fairy's world seemed very unusual…and very exciting.

But she was an Awakening! Lady Grace and Emily were the first awakenings of magic in thousands of years! Aideen couldn't help but be a little awe struck at the sight. Humans didn't really understand magic, try as she might to explain it to the Mystic Knights. It was in everything! It flowed like a river through every rock, every piece of sand, every leaf on the trees. It was the force behind everything, good and bad, that ever came to be, that is, and would ever come to be.

But an Awakening was…a sign…of things to come. No one, even King Finvara, could predict if an awakening was good or bad but it often took the form of the magic that could find it first; by all appearances, Lady Grace already seemed to take on the form of good magic. All of these…Possibles…did. Lady Grace breathed enough magic into her forerunner that…Aideen had felt it from the other side of the village. She'd half expected to see the fairy dead when she arrived.

Finvara wanted to see them! He NEEDED to see them!

 _Author's Notes:_

 _First time I've really had a chance to write in a long time._


	18. Chapter 18

Shego had to admit…time travel aside…this whole experience was…downright fascinating.

When your wife was the author of what was still, even after almost 10 years, the definitive book on pre-Roman and Roman Britain, you tended to pick up a few things. You picked up a lot more when you proof read every page as they came off the printer too. She'd never be the expert that Kimmie was but she knew enough to know that what she was experiencing never made it into any history books; and there was no WAY that some super villain had plopped the Possibles into some kind of grand scheme or illusion. Absolutely none of them had the imagination to dream something like this up.

King Conchabar told her the history of Kells and Temra. For almost 20 years, the two kingdoms had been locked in a feud that made the Hatfields and McCoys look like a squirrel hunt. Many years ago, the King of Kells had arranged a marriage between his oldest child, a daughter, to the heir to Temra, Maeve's father, who had lost his wife giving birth to Maeve, and with the marriage came the throne of Kells. It sounded like the wedding was a done deal…until the King's nephew burst in with evidence that Temra's heir hadn't exactly been faithful. That…was something right out of a romance novel but it seemed that the men of Kells were surprisingly monogamous in their relationships. At any rate, the heir and his father denied it but the damage had been done. When the King of Kells had broken off the marriage and named his nephew his heir, the cold war began. With Conchabar's ascension to the crown fifteen years ago, the cold war got hot.

"The people of our lands have been locked in similar struggles," Shego replied as King Conchabar fell silent. "None of them have been especially pleasant times in our history…but we have usually emerged better than we were before."

"I pray to the Three that you are right, Lady Possible," King Conchabar sighed. "I pray that you are right." Shego followed his gaze to the chair next to him. "You sound very much like Deirdre's mother. Especially during this time of the year, my Queen always saw the best in even the darkest of days. Even after so long…I…" He paused. "Forgive me, Lady. I didn't mean to burden you with such problems."

"Your majesty…please! It's no burden at all! I know exactly how you feel. I…if I ever lost Kim, I…you are far stronger than I. If I ever lost her…I don't think I could ever…my children would be all that could keep me going. Without Kimberly Anne Possible, my world would just…"

God…she had to find her! She was GOING to find her!

Several search party leaders came in as the conversation progressed, neither having any seen any sign of Kimmie, Abby, Zoe, Nicky…nothing out of the ordinary. According to the reports, King Conchabar's men were rapidly running out of places to look, which could mean that they were taken by Maeve…but many of the scout leaders didn't find that likely. The only reason that Maeve's goons had gotten Shego in the first place was that they had been raiding into Kells and grabbed her during the raid. Gracie and Em had walked right into town when they came to. If they didn't find some kind of sign soon, Shego had to start considering the possibility that they just…weren't here! Strangely enough…that was good news! They weren't here! Wherever Kim and the rest of her family was…it very well couldn't be any more dangerous than here. Kim, Zoe, her little baby boy…they had to be safe!

With her mind slowly being put at ease regarding the rest of her family, Shego's mind began to shift gears. If the rest of her family wasn't in any immediate danger, how the hell was she going to get the what family she DID have here back to their own time? How did she even begin to think…

…ROOOOOOOOOOO…ROOOOOOOOOOOO…

All conversation ceased as the horn blows died down. King Conchabar jumped to his feet and…Shego could see by the look on his face that this wasn't good. Jumping up from her chair she followed the king out until they nearly came crashing into one of the guards, a high ranking one by the state of his armor. According to the man in question, one of the outposts had spotted Temra soldiers advancing hard and fast into Kells, likely headed for the castle. From what Conchabar had been explaining to her, attacks like this were by no means unusual…but launching such an attack during Ostara WAS, a bit like Christian Knights carrying out an attack on Christmas Day.

"They're being marched at a lightning pace. Our scouts expect that they will be here in two days' time!"

"Call in our soldiers from the eastern villages," King Conchabar barked as he continued marching down the hall with the officer and Shego in tow. "Begin bringing the villagers inside the walls. They may lose their homes but better their homes than their lives. Advise Cathbad to begin preparing the fire pots for our catapults."

"All being done as we speak, my King," The officer replied. "Temra will pay in blood for this folly."

The king kept up his march but turned towards Shego. "I expect it is in retaliation for Lady Possible's masterful escape. Maeve never could take embarrassment well."

Shego shouldn't have been surprised, especially knowing what she knew now about the woman. Looking back on it, if Shego had been able to feel the meta-human energy in the crystal, who was to say that Maeve wouldn't have been able to sense the same thing in Shego? The stone wasn't a part of her like it was with Shego but…who could say? If there was one thing that Shego was more familiar with than she wanted to be, it was the nature of evil; and if SHE had been in Maeve's position, having had someone with Shego's abilities in her grasp only to have her ripped away, Shego likely would've mounted some kind of effort to recover the prize as well.

"King Conchabar, if you don't mind, would you instruct your soldiers to find me a suit of armor?" Shego grinned. "It would be my honor to stand alongside your men!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"You…don't have to hide, you know."

Gracie couldn't explain it but from the moment that Ivar had walked in, Gracie could sense…something…just outside the window. Ever since she'd gotten here, she'd felt this kind of funky electricity in the air, sort of like this tickle at the back of her head that seemed to be fed from all directions at once. She'd been feeling a great big mass of it right outside the window for hours. What's more…it was alive!

A pair of wings fluttered into the window…and she saw that fairy again! Gracie still couldn't believe how well Emily had adjusted to the whole idea of an honest to God fairy. Gracie's brain had been short circuiting so much after getting here that she was surprised she'd managed to remain coherent; and now that she was beginning to adjust to her new surroundings…she couldn't help but think about what a horrible first impression she'd made.

"Hey, I've…been hoping you'd come back," Gracie tried to push herself up to a sitting position. "I wanted to apologize about…you know…before."

The…fairy…floated through the open window and across the room, settling onto the bed and crossing her legs.

"You don't have to apologize," The…Gracie could only think of her as a girl…girl smiled and waved off the apology. She looked to be a perfectly formed human being in miniature…minus the wings of course…but she had the most childlike face that Gracie had ever seen. "I'm not used to other fairies being afraid of me, though." She flashed Gracie a big grin.

There it was again. She called Gracie a fairy. Like any good bard, she'd poured over all of the old Irish legends, of which fairies often played a major role, usually through using some crazy magic spell with kooky results. Now that she thought about it, pretty much any mythology she'd ever heard of involved what could be seen as magic. Were…were they actually Metas?

"Right strange, it is," Aideen continued. "Yer a fairy but you've never seen one yourself?"

"Well…where I come from, fairies are things in storybooks," Aideen looked a little confused. This was worse than a language barrier. "Uh…they're things of legends. People tell stories about them from a long time ago but everybody didn't think they were actually real."

Oh man…THIS was going to shake the world if they ever got back. With all Gracie had seen, Emily was right; Gracie SHOULDN'T be so surprised about the existence of magic. With bad guys like Monkey Fist…and even with what Uncle Ron could do, fairies weren't that far out of the realm of possibilities…but for some reason, society didn't seem to have the same concept of "realm of possibilities".

"Well, I sure am real," Aideen giggled and sat down on blanket. "Just like all fairies in Tir na Nog."

There was that word again. Gracie could hear the legend playing in her mind. Tir na Nog was…sort of like a mixture of Heaven and the Fountain of Youth. People who went there never aged and spent forever in a land of celebration. Celtic Woman had done a song about it, one of Gracie's favorites.

"This is totally surreal," Gracie breathed. "It's all real. All the songs we sand, all the legends…this…this is…AWESOME!"

Aideen fell backwards in surprise and Gracie quickly offered an apology, helping the little one up. "Sorry…I…this is just…incredible! You…you can do real magic?"

Aideen gave a smile and stood up. She cracked her knuckles and began chanting. Gracie felt a tingle at the back of her head and her breath caught as a reddish gold mist similar to the color of her clothes began spreading from her finger tips. The mist began to twist and shimmer, forming into a ball. With a final word, there was a loud snap and the mist disappeared. In its place was…some kind of wooden coin. Gracie picked it up with slightly trembling hands, looking at it as if she half expected it to explode. Upon closer examination, Gracie could see that it was actually a pendant and on it…Gracie could immediately recognize a beautifully done carving of a Hawthorn tree. A while back, Mary had stumbled upon a website on Celtic astrology. For fun, they'd gone through and done everyone's signs. It'd…been kind of romantic since Billy had been a Rowan, her perfect match.

"This is so cool. Thank you! I…I wish I had something to give you!"

"Ah, dinna worry about it," Aideen waved the offer away. Suddenly her eyebrow quirked; "Did you say you make music? Would…would you sing something?"

Gracie was caught by surprise. Apparently, all faries, at least the "good" ones, loved music. Gracie quickly began running through a list of songs that the little one might like. The first thing that came into her head, though, was the Kookaburra song Mom used to sing her when she was little. The words just sort of…came out and Gracie couldn't stop. The song came to an end and a silence fell on the room. Gracie kept staring down at Aideen, looking for some kind of sign of approval or disapproval. The little fairy just stared at her with wide eyes and a warm smile. It felt like an eternity but without warning, Aideen leapt to her feet and started applauding.

"That was beautiful!" She gasped, floating up to eye level.

"Thank you," Gracie suppressed a cringe as she felt her cheeks begin to color. "My parents used to sing it to me when I was a kid. It's about a bird whose song sounds like children laughing."

There was a knock at the doorway and both heads turned to see a smiling Princess Deirdre standing there.

"It's wonderful to see you healed," Deirdre came in and bowed her head. "Your mother barely left your side."

Gracie looked around. "Um…where is she?"

Deirdre's face shifted ever so slightly. If Gracie hadn't been looking directly at the woman, she might have thought she imagined it but the princess's face definitely cringed.

"She's…with Father, making preparations," Deirdre glanced to the window. "One of our scouting parties reported a Temra battalion headed this way. Father thinks that it is in retaliation for your mother's escape."

Well…she definitely didn't imagine it, then. Gracie had heard enough about this Temra by now to know that they were bad news. She'd also heard enough about this woman who led them to know that she was likely some kind of Meta too. Gracie shifted off the blankets and climbed out of bed. She still had a few aches and pains but she'd had far worse after a tough basketball practice.

"What can I do to help?"

Gracie had expected as much when the princess seemed to balk at the thought. She could still hear Mom and Momma's lectures whenever she'd pushed her powers too far; but here, Deirdre gave a brief pause and began sizing the teen up.

"We'll have you change into a pair of my old riding clothes," Deirdre sighed. "We have to bring the villagers into the castle. Stay close to me!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego grunted as she tried to adjust her new attire. Finding suitable armor actually hadn't been difficult. She'd known from Kimmie's research that it wasn't out of the ordinary for Celtic women to join the fight. They DIDN'T usually wear armor like this though! Shego had taken part in a medieval tournament once on a bet from Ron so she had at least some idea of what to expect. This mail shirt, however, felt like wearing a corset laced to cut off circulation! Her breast had proven to be a bit of a problem and the only solution anyone could find had proven to be wrapping a piece of burlap around her chest. God…she REALLY felt like hitting something right now!

She swallowed a grumble and began marching up the stone stairs up to the wall. As she marched, her hand fell to the sheathed sword riding high on her hip. Shego couldn't deny that she was looking forward to rubbing it in her princess's face if…WHEN…when they got back that Shego had gotten to wield an actual Hallstatt sword.

She stood at the top and several of the soldiers snapped a salute. Shego had rapidly realized, especially after she had donned Kells armor and colors, that her reputation among King Conchabar's fighting men had risen to just short of King Conchabar himself. Her readiness to join the ranks in the defence had cemented the status. Shego returned the salute and looked out over the preparations that had been made in the past 24 hours.

The response time had been incredible even by her time's standards, likely a byproduct of living in a perpetual state of civil war. Within minutes of the castle issuing orders, every villager within the vicinity of the castle had been pulled inside with more coming from the villages in the advancing army's path with more coming in every hour. Shego's stomach still churned at the sight of Gracie, not in bed but on horseback alongside Princess Deirdre leading a column of refugees.

"We are going to have a LONG talk when this is over, young lady," Shego barked.

That nutjob of a hormonal teenager was just like her Mom, already giving Shego gray hair and likely going to give her an ulcer after much longer. Gracie sure didn't get this from SHEGO! Her one saving grace had been that she'd been able to convince the kid to stay in the castle and tend to the wounded.

Shego looked down and took in the troops. Along with the refugees came soldiers, ten or twenty at a time. The whole affair seemed incredibly organized considering the period in history. Every village seemed to have a small garrison of the King's soldiers, sort of like a civil defense force capable of bringing their charges and everything they needed into the castle at only a few moments' notice. The whole thing, moving with such precision and clockwork, further drove home just how routine this life had to have become for these people.

Shego immediately spotted Rowan, the leader of these "Mystic Knights" that consisted of himself, Princess Deirdre, a pickpocket friend of Rowan's, and Prince Ivar, the Moorish noble that Shego was still VERY curious to know how he'd wound up in ancient Ireland. The troops gave way for him but at the same time, didn't treat him like a noble, more like a respected equal, sort of an ancient platoon sergeant. Her eyes quickly zeroed in on the bright red hilt poking up from his back. That sword…it gave her the same feeling as Maeve's scepter. It felt like another meta! Shego had come into contact with all the Mystic Knights in preparing for this fight and felt the same around every one of them, the princess's crossbow, Ivar's trident, and the pickpocket Angus's flail. God had to be testing her. She TRIED to get her bearings in this situation…but every time it was even more questions!

She had to focus, though, keep her mind on the task at hand. She tore her eyes back to the horizon. As the last of the refugees arrived at the castle, they'd reported that the advancing army would be here within the hour.

Shego couldn't help but smile. "Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my Brothers, I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of Men comes crashing down, but it is NOT this day! This day, we fight! By all that you hold dear, I bid you stand…Men of the West!" Hell, for all she knew, there very well COULD be orcs out there; a battalion of Orcs, a half dozen Nazgul circling the skies, and a Balrog of Morgoth for good measure.

"Pardon, my lady?"

Just some words from an old ruler," Shego gave a light chuckle. She hadn't realized she'd said it that loud. She thumped the man on the shoulder. "He drew a demon king's army out in the open and stood against an army of thousands of beasts and monsters, all to buy time for a friend."

The man looked a little more encouraged and stood up straighter, hand tightening on the spear he held. "My lady…it is an honor to fight at your side!"

… _AAARRRRRRROOOOOOO…_

Everyone turned in unison as the horn blast sounded. Sure enough, Shego could see a mass o black and purple moving towards them, like a wave of darkness. Shouts echoed through the ranks and men rushed into formation and manned their stations. Kells didn't have anything approaching binoculars or a spyglass but she had to estimate that they were around 500 yards out, about 100 yards out of extreme bow range. It seemed that despite their haste to get here, they Temra army wasn't going to oblige Shego by marching right into a meat grinder. With the level of fear of Maeve's wrath that was said to be in her own ranks and with how royally pissed she would've had to be at Shego's little Shawshank Redemption recreation, It was surprising that these clowns had the tactical sense to stop and get into formation.

The soldiers around her snapped to attention as King Conchabar appeared at the parapet.

"Your Majesty," Shego gave a small bow and stepped aside to give the king a look. "They stopped just out of range, likely taking time to form their ranks."

"Should we charge them, my King, my Lady?" One of the guards asked.

"No," Shego breathed. "Never be too eager to rush your opponent. Let them come to us. The minute they come into range, we'll make them pay for every step!"

"Indeed," The King agreed. "Maeve has attacked the castle before and we have repelled her! Let the witch queen try again!"

"My King…"Another guard gasped and pointed. "There…in the center…"

Shego's eyes followed his finger to the center of the army. It was difficult to tell at this distance but Shego could just make out a giant banner in Temra colors but with what looked like a ram's skull wreathed in a purple flame emblazoned in the middle.

"By the Three," Conchabar looked to be rethinking something. "The witch queen herself leads them.

Maeve had come? THAT threw a monkey wrench into the mix! From what Conchabar and his advisors had said, Maeve had for the most part relied upon her subordinates of late, rarely venturing out into the field herself unless she was absolutely certain of victory; but there she was, smackdab in the center of her army. The strange thing was that from up here, Shego couldn't see anything that would give her army much of an edge.

"What makes her so confident?" Shego spoke out loud.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

She would NOT be made a fool of!

Maeve, Queen of Temra and rightful Queen of Kells glared up at the castle, willing it to crumble into a heap of rubble. How…HOW had they done it? No one had escaped from her dungeons! But that woman…that woman had freed the entire dungeon as if her guards were made of straw! And the power she had wielded…Maeve had thought herself mistaken the first time but that woman…that CREATURE could wield fire like others could wield a paint brush.

She still felt her blood boil at the way Midar, that wretched little fairy, had laughed at her! The woman, he'd told her, was actually a fairy herself and the mother of two more. She was powerful…but the youngest was of a power that no one had seen in a dozen lifetimes. Midar's spies in Tir Na Nog had informed him that the three were awakenings, newborn faries and…the young one was said to be second only to Midar and Finvara themselves; and Maeve had just let such a prize slip through her fingers, squarely into Conchabar's waiting hands!

If she didn't need that foul creature, she'd have crushed him with her bare hands but…his powers gave her this stone. She would never speak the words out loud but if she was ever to stand a chance of taking Kells, she needed as much power as she could possess and Midar was her only source!

He just…knew how to make her angry!

"My Queen," General Torc stepped beside her. "All preparations are complete. My men and I are ready to move on your oder."

Maeve WOULD rule Kells! She would stand in the throne room over Conchabar's corpes! She would enslave his bitch daughter and turn her over to Maeve's army to sate their desires, and the rest…she would make them rue the day that they had ever heard of Kells!

"Go, Torc," Maeve breathed. "And don't fail me!"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _It's been forever since I've been able to write but my summer job at the state park has given me some time to just sit down and write. I hate to leave you hanging…but look for more hints as to the origins of the Possibles' powers._


	19. Chapter 19

Momma…

Not for the first time, Gracie looked towards the wall. God, she hoped Momma was okay. It was starting to sound bad out there and wounded were starting to come in. Nothing major but she'd seen enough of the world to know that it was only a matter of time. She let out the breath she'd been holding and stood up. The arrow in the soldier's side had forced itself out and the flesh looked like it had never been hit. The poor man had been through a lot and was probably going to sleep for hours.

She looked down the line of wounded and moved to the next one. This one was at least conscious. She didn't know precisely what happened but she took a deep breath and felt her plasma course through her; a dislocated shoulder and a fractured ankle, a relatively easy fix.

One by one, Gracie moved down the line, fixing what she could for as long as she could. Cathbad the Wizard had arrived a short time later and shooed her away after she'd finished healing an archer, saying that even one such as she was going to need a few moments rest. Gracie couldn't deny that she was starting to feel a little woozy…but in a way, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. It had taken her a few moments to realize it but…she didn't have to hide her powers here! Here, what she could do was…well…maybe not common but here, she didn't have to live in fear of being snatched up to become some government science project. She was saving lives…REALLY saving lives! And she could do it without having to look over her shoulder.

Gracie swung open the door and stepped into the crowded hallway of the castle. Refugees had piled in for the past day and Gracie had to imagine that every scrap of free space was taken. She carefully stepped between bodies, many of them children. A handful of the refugees she and Princess Deirdre helped bring in spotted her and started waving. She waved back and continued on.

Her stomach started to rumble. Maybe she'd make her way down to the kitchens. She'd get some food into her and then she should have the strength to go a few more rounds.

Momma always made jokes about Irish cooking…and Scottish and English for the that matter…but Gracie was actually starting to develop a taste for it, particularly the breads and cheeses that she'd had so far. She popped into the kitchen, trying her best to stay out of everyone's way. The cooks were basically feeding the entire village and then some right now. Gracie grabbed a couple of slices of crusty bread and a wedge of cheese and made a sandwich.

"Lady Grace," Gracie swallowed a mouthful as a maid approached. Insa, Gracie thought her name was. She'd been assigned to wait on Em.

"How's my sister fairing?" Gracie asked in between bites.

"Your sister is brave beyond her years, Lady," The woman gave a small bow. "She has no fear for herself…but she worries over you and your mother."

Man…that was Emily…and Zoe too. The two could be hanging from a cliff and they'd be reaching down to pull others up. They could be total and complete pests and make her want to hang them both by their ankles, what Gracie affectionately called "the treatment"…but they were her baby sisters, for Heaven's sake! It was her job to worry about THEM! Not the other way around. She looked towards the window. The sounds of battle were faint but still distinct. Gracie'd been so focused on helping the wounded that she hadn't really thought about…Momma…

But…Momma would be fine! Gracie…Gracie didn't have to hide her powers; and if Gracie didn't have to hide her powers, Momma sure didn't! Momma was a one woman wrecking crew when she needed to be! Mom had told stories where Momma was totally engulfed in plasma, like a great burning green torch, fighting like a maniac!

Momma would be fine! Gracie swallowed the last of her food. Cathbad had told her to take a few minutes. Maybe she'd spend them checking on Emily.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego let out a snarl as her plasma-engulfed hand burned through an iron sword like it was made of soft butter. She used the momentum to spin around, swinging her sword in an arc. She felt the sickening crunch as the cold metal sliced through mail and into flesh and bone. The opponent collapsed and Shego ripped her blade out with a wet _riiiiipppp_ and turned to face the next opponent. Another Temra swordsman lunged out at her. She knocked aside his blade and delivered a swift kick to his chest, knocking him back into another of his buddies…

…and there she was! It was only for a moment but she locked eyes with the Queen of Temra herself. She swung her scepter like a club and Shego ducked as two Kells soldiers were sent flying over her. Shego looked…and couldn't help but wince at the sheer insanity in those eyes, eyes that Shego could feel locking on to her like some kind of primitive radar.

If the bitch wanted to dance, Shego was only too willing!

Shego took off running towards her quarry. She dodged spears, ducked under sword blades. With barely a second thought, Shego began charging a plasma ball in her free hand. She ducked under another spear strike and hurled the plasma ball in a pitch that would make an MLB shortstop wince.

The rest seemed to happen very slowly. Shego watched the plasma ball sail through the air and saw Queen Maeve raise her scepter. She couldn't make out exactly what the Queen had done but for a hot moment, Shego could see a beam of green light shoot from the staff. The two beams seemed to move towards each other frame by frame, like something out of a flip book.

The funny thing with moments like that was that at some point, the world seemed to speed back up, as if trying to make up for the play by play. As if someone had flipped a switch, the two balls of energy collided in a deafening roar and a burst of force that knocked Shego off her feet as if she'd clotheslined on the GWA. For the briefest of moments…that somehow felt like an eternity…she felt like she'd been strapped to one of those old spinning tops that her Grandpa used to make for her when she was a kid. She hit the ground with a thump and her head finally stopped spinning. Shego shook the cobwebs out of her eyes and tried to open them.

Everything was silent! Only moments ago, the sounds of battle echoed across the field and now…everyone who hadn't been knocked off their feet was standing so still it looked like Shego was standing in the middle of some bizarre Toussaud's wax museum knock off. Literally everybody was standing stock still eyes riveted on Shego and the Queen. With a grunt, Shego forced herself to her feet and looked for her opponent…and her mouth couldn't help but go dry as her eyes finally settled on Maeve, standing exactly where she was, not a hair out of place. Shego and nearly every swordsman, Kells and Temran alike, had been knocked off their feet and some of them THROWN a few feet for good measure and this crazy bitch looked like she'd just felt a gentle breeze brush against her face on a walk through the park…except that that face was contorted in rage, teeth clenched on the verge of a snarl…and Shego spotted a trickle of blood running down her nose. Sneaky little bitch, erecting a barrier that quick; sneaky…but apart from feeling a little dizzy, Shego didn't feel too bad herself.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Shego belted out as she started marching towards the queen. Shego's hand went to sword sheath only to realize that she'd lost it in the blast. Well…she had ways to work around that…and the force was strong in her family! She took a deep breath and focused her mind for a moment and plasma began coalescing around her right hand and a glowing green katana formed in her fist.

Shego took off at a run, brought the flaming sword up in an overhand strike…and the blade sizzled against whatever barrier Maeve had up. Little sparks began shooting off where the blade met the barrier. Shego kept pressing, slowly feeling the barrier begin to give.

"You…have already lost…" The Queen gasped as she fought to maintain the barrier.

"Oh God, you're not going to monologue are you…"

"I HAVE YOUR DAUGHTERS!"

With a great whoosh of air, Maeve winked out of existence.

She…she had…

Shego turned back towards the castle.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Gracie picked up her pace, recognizing the distinct sound of metal on metal. She didn't know how but…that was the sound of battle. Somehow, whoever was attacking had to have gotten inside the castle…and the sounds were coming from Emily's room. She pushed herself faster, rounding a corner, and another, and another. She skidded to a halt…and there they were! At least six men had launched themselves on the two guards at Em's door. She turned back to face Insa.

"Go," She barked. Gracie grabbed the hem of her dress around the knee and gave a yank, ripping the fabric clean away. She needed freedom of motion. Princess Deirdre would have to understand. "Get help, anyone you can find. I'll keep them busy!"

"But…Lady Grace…"

"GO," Gracie yelled as she ripped away the sleeves.

Gracie turned back to the fight, not looking to see if Insa obeyed. Okay…she needed a weapon, anything. She looked up in time to see one of the attackers slam a huge Warhammer into one of the guards' chests sending him flying backwards…but sending the guard's short spear skidding to a halt at Gracie's feet. Without a second thought, Gracie scooped up the spear and stepped into the hallway.

"Back away from the door," Gracie bellowed as she stepped into a fighting stance.

Several of the attackers let out an amused chuckle and Gracie had to suppress an urge to charge at them. One of the attackers barked an order for them to take her and the two in front began advancing. Gracie looked from one to the other. Both were walking with a very noticeable swagger. Evidently, neither one expected a "girl" to put up much of a fight. The one on the right made a grab for Gracie's spear and she spun around and slammed the flat of the spear point against his helmet, ringing it like a gong and sending him staggering against the wall. Using the recoil, she brought the spear back and rammed the butt into the other guy's chest with an _ooooppphhh_. The man toppled to ground gasping for breath, the wind likely knocked out of him. Gracie let out a shriek and brought the spear blade down onto his head. She heard…and almost felt…the sound of bone cracking.

The one she'd clocked started getting back up and Gracie leveled the spear point at his throat.

"Back away!" She shouted, inching the blade closer.

"General, I…"

Gracie's eyes darted between her prisoner and his commander, back and forth, back and forth. She barely had time to react when the man, their general, made a throwing motion. Gracie chanced a look down and saw that a dagger had embedded itself in her prisoner's neck. He…he killed his own…

"Failure will not be tolerated," The general growled. "Now bring the lass to me or I will kill you all myself."

The remaining three began advancing, all three much more cautious than their friends. She braced herself. Two against one was one thing when both of them underestimated you but these three weren't going to do anything stupid again. Her eyes darted from person to person. When Global Justice trained you in hand to hand combat, they trained you to fight one on one, then two on one, then three, four, and so on. When she had the time to train, Gracie could generally hold her own when it was two on one. She'd been making progress but Mom and Momma weren't quite ready to pass her on three on one. If she could keep all three in front of her, though, that would be a start…until Gracie spied another four swordsmen rush up to their general and began hammering on the door.

God…she had to get to…

"WATER AROUND ME!"

Gracie was too well trained to whirl around but she recognized a bright blue light shining behind her…and that voice sounded like Prince Ivar. The three attackers, however, were frozen in their tracks like they'd seen a ghost. Not one to miss an opportunity, Gracie darted forward on her opponents one at a time.

… _CRASH…_

… _SLAM…_

… _CRUNCH…_

Three bodies slumped to the ground. Secure in her safety…for the moment, at least…chanced a look behind her…and hat to remember t breath after looking at what stood before her. Standing in front of her was…some kind of glowing blue warrior god. Glistening blue armor…like a giant sapphire…covered every scrap of him except or a pair of golden horns capping off the helmet. At his sides were sheathed daggers with bright red hilts in the shape of a dragon and in his hands was a blue and gold trident; but looking into those eyes, those chestnut brown eyes that had been on her mind since she'd gotten here…immediately identified him as…as…

"DOWN!"

Gracie's knees folded beneath her as Ivar sent one of the daggers sailing inches above her nose. She hit the ground and spun around in time to see another swordsman crumple to the ground barely five feet from her, the dragon hilt sticking from his chest.

She turned back around as a leather-clad hand touched her shoulder.

"Lady Grace…are you hurt?"

"They're after Emily!" Gracie couldn't recall getting to her feet but she suddenly found herself dragging him towards the door.

Gracie came to a halt at the door and, thankfully, saw that it was pretty much intact. She gave it a push. The door didn't even move. Em must've been able to push something up against the door. Her sister could think on her feet! Gracie couldn't help but feel a bit of sisterly pride at that…but it did tend to hamper any rescue attempt. She rammed and heaved her shoulder against the door but couldn't get it to budge.

"Step aside," Ivar tapped her shoulder and motioned to the right. "Lady Emily," He called through the door. "If you can hear me, step away from the door."

Gracie stepped aside, bracing herself for whatever Ivar was going to do. Ivar leveled his trident at the door like it was a shotgun. She quirked an eyebrow…and practically jumped back when bolts of blue lightning seemed to shoot out of the weapon like something out of a SciFi movie. The top portion of the door began to sizzle and smolder, falling away in a charred pile of ash.

"Uh…thanks," Gracie replied, trying desperately to regain her composure. "I'll go get her."

God, this place just got weirder and weirder. At this point, Gracie was prepared to believe that the Earth's core was actually filled with butterscotch pudding if a talking butterfly appeared and told her so. She climbed through what remained of the door and sure enough, Em had managed to push the bed against the door and for good measure hand thrown the wash stand and two chairs on the heap as well. The kid had really acted pretty quick. Gracie stepped delicately over the pile of wood and quickly spotted her sister, on her knees, by the window. Gracie felt a pang of rage at the men trying to break in. Emily had been praying!

"Don't worry, sister of mine," Gracie laughed as she jumped to the floor and landed with a dramatic flourish. "Your prayers have been answered!"

Emily didn't budge or say a word. That wasn't good! Gracie darted up and checked her. Em…wasn't praying. Her eyes were closed but she still had a look of intense concentration on her face. A stab of fear shot through her. Was…was she in shock?

"Emily," Gracie breathed. "Come on; talk to me! It's Gracie! It's your Big Sis!"

"Is she hurt?" Gracie turned to see Ivar's helmet in the hole she'd climbed through. She'd been about to answer…when out of the corner of her eye, she saw the old man, the attacker's leader, behind Ivar.

"Behind you," Gracie belted out.

It seemed to happen in slow motion but Gracie saw the knife, saw it sink into Ivar's shoulder as Ivar turned. Ivar let out a cry of pain and back-handed the man with a gauntleted fist.

"TAKE HIM," Gracie heard the man shout. "TAKE THEM ALL!"

Oh God…Gracie turned back to Emily. "Emily…listen to me! We've got to get out of here! You've got to wake up," Emily didn't budge but Gracie could hear her breathing start to pick up. Damn it…she'd have to carry…

Before Gracie could lift her hand, Emily's head darted towards the door and her eyes burst open…but Gracie wasn't sure what she was seeing. Em's eyes were…blue…glowing blue…and the glow began to spread through her entire body like…Gracie's mouth went dry…like PLASMA! Emily was using Plasma!

"Go…now…"

… _AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH…_

The entire room seemed to vanish in a blinding burst of light, the same color as Em's eyes. Gracie felt like something grabbed a hold of her insides and just pulled. She felt like she was moving at a blinding speed…but at the same time, she felt like she was completely still. She tried to open her mouth but no sound came out…

…then, as suddenly as it had begun, the world came back into focus and Gracie hit the ground with a thump. Her head felt like somebody had stuck it in a washing machine…but at least she was still conscious. They were…outside. Gracie could feel the twigs and leaves scratching her skin. She shook the cobwebs out of her head and pried open her eyelids.

They WERE outside! What the heck had happened? They were in Emily's room…and Emily as engulfed in blue plasma! Em had powers…like her and Momma! Whatever it exactly was that Em could do…Gracie forced herself up on to her hands and knees and looked around…it had to have something to do with teleporting. It looked like they were in the middle of some kind of miniature version of Stonehenge. She looked up…and thumped her head on a chunk of rock. THAT sure didn't help her cranial problems any. She shook her head a few more times and saw that the chunk of rock was actually some kind of stone table…and on the other side, she saw Emily, just starting to climb to her feet. Gracie couldn't help herself. She darted over and wrapped her little sis in a hug. Strangely enough…it wasn't just because Em was physically fine.

She was a Meta! Emily was a Meta too!

"Gracie…Gracie, I'm fine," Em tried to squirm out of her elder sister's grip. "They didn't even touch me!"

"No," Gracie practically laughed as she tried to squeeze the younger Possible tighter," My baby sister worked her magic and saved her big sister's skin!"

"I…I saved you?"

Gracie was about to answer when the pair heard a groan. Gracie released her sister and turned…and felt her heart clench. She was looking at Prince Ivar, his strange blue armor gone, and blood seeping out of his left shoulder. Gracie darted over and fell to her knees, mustering the concentration required to heal…

"THEY'RE OVER HERE!"

Gracie's eyes darted up in time to see one of the attackers about 30 yards up a path. Crap; Emily had to have brought a handful of them with her. She did some quick math in her head and…she wouldn't be able to heal him in time, not and be able to mount any kind of defense.

"Crystal…"Gracie's eyes turned back towards Ivar. "Put…your hand…on the crystal," He coughed and tried to raise a finger towards the stone table. She had no idea what to expect to find but at this point, she was prepared to do anything.

"Help me get him on his feet," Gracie gasped at Em, trying to pull up one side of the man. "Be careful of his shoulder."

Gracie grunted as the full weight of Ivar fell upon her shoulder. Gracie worked out and kept in pretty good shape…at least she liked to think so…but she was still a 16 year old girl trying to bear the 200 lbs. weight of a full grown man 2 years her senior and almost entirely muscle. She and Em hauled him up to the table and Gracie had to fight not to take a moment to stare at the intricate carvings worked into the stone slab. Her eyes quickly sought out the bright red crystal fixed in the center. Ivar had said to put their hands on the crystal. Gracie put her right hand on the crystal and motioned for Em to do the same…but nothing happened.

"T…trident…"

Ivar still had his trident clasped in his right hand. Em grabbed his wrist and helped him raise it. Gracie heard a faint clink as the weapon hit the stone…and felt the ground fall out beneath her. She let out a gasp but heard nothing. Then, as quickly as the sensation had fallen upon her, Gracie felt herself thump down onto a stony floor.

"What…"Em gasped, "…was that?"

"Well, little sis, I'd say that was likely magic," Gracie smiled as she turned to the younger Possible. "I guess we're lucky that Prince Ivar…Ivar?" Gracie's eyes whipped back around. Ivar had gone completely limp and he looked like he was sweating buckets. Whatever that man who stabbed him had done, it had to have been much worse than Gracie had thought. She quickly laid him down and knelt beside him. She didn't even think. Gracie placed her hands on the wound and started concentrating.

"Gracie…what…"Even while focusing on the wound, Gracie could hear her sister gasp. "You…you're using plasma…like Momma!"

Gracie was in a forest, standing before an evergreen tree. It had a small gouge in it, like someone had struck it with an axe. The wound itself didn't look bad. She placed her hands onto the bark of the tree…and leaped back. There was some kind of sap coating the tree and touching it…it felt like…Gracie held up her hands. They were red, like she'd touched something hot. What…what was this? She'd never come across anything like this before. She'd been able to heal any injury, anything but sickness, but…she had no idea what to do. She pressed her hands against the tree again. Before she ripped her hands away, Gracie could feel the sticky pitch coating her hands. Even as she managed to pull away, the pitch stuck to her hands, burning until it evaporated.

"I'm afraid you can't do it alone."

Gracie whirled around. She could always hear voices from "outside" wherever it was that she went when she healed someone…but that voice had been inside…wherever here was. She spun around and her eyes fell on a man…an older man, maybe the same age as Grandpa Possible but with a huge gray beard. The man was clad in a red and gold robe that sort of made him look like Santa Claus. She could also see a gold and copper crown nestled on his head.

"I have to save him," Gracie gasped, holding up her hands. "There's something wrong…"

"Alas, I fear there is darker magic here," The old man's eyes narrowed as he studied the tree. "This has all the makings of Midar's work. Here," The old man held out his hand. "Please, lassie; I'll need your help."

Gracie eyed the hand like an animal she wasn't sure was safe or not. Things were crazy enough already and this little surprise didn't help any. She looked back at the old man…and despite it all, she couldn't help but feel a nagging sensation of calm. What was that name that Aideen had used, the king of the fairies?

"Are you…King Finvarra?"

The man gave a small nod and smiled.

"I ear greater introductions must wait if we are to save Prince Ivar," He replied, raising his hand again.

Gracie took a small breath. At this point, she was ready to try anything. She took the King's hand and turned back towards the tree. She tried to maintain her concentration and looked towards King Finvarra. His lips began moving without making a sound. Gracie began to feel a tingle. He raised a gnarled old cane he'd been holding and began waiving it in a circle. The tingling quickly became a steady pressure and a golden circle began forming in front of them. As it began to take shape, Gracie began hearing a whoosh of air as a…vortex was the only word she could think of…began barreling into the tree. She quickly saw a mass of blackness being pulled from the tree. As the last of it was literally ripped from the tree, the vortex seemed to shift into some kind of sphere, trapping the black mass inside.

"Quickly," King Finvarra breathed. "I can contain it but you must heal him."

Gracie let go of his hand and pressed her palms against the tree. She took a deep breath and pressed, her hands sinking into the bark as if it were made of clay. She grunted and began trying to push the gap closed. It really didn't take much effort, especially compared to some other injuries.

She gave a last gasp and pulled her hands free…and the illusion disappeared. Gracie heaved a deep breath and leaned back. Again…WHAT had happened in there? Gracie's hands felt…she lifted them from the Prince's chest…both of them were blistered as if she'd accidentally touched a hot oven rack.

She could heal other people but doing it to herself just happened to be beyond her!

"Gracie…"

Emily! Gracie had completely forgotten what the kid had just witnessed. Gracie turned and saw her little sister staring slack-jawed at the scene playing out before her.

"Emily…I…"

"You…you're like Momma," Emily gasped. "You…have powers!"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Everyone always talks about wanting to be in another world, like Lord of the Rings, but you have to wonder exactly how quickly you'd be able to adjust to things that pretty much defy the laws of physics._


	20. Chapter 20

Shego sat on the stone bench across from the trussed up Temra prisoner. She'd been expecting something out of an S&M wet dream, at least some form of a rack; but the poor soul just had his arms wrapped around a dowel and was hung from the ceiling so his feet barely touched the ground. That was fine with her! The way she was feeling right now, she would find a savage pleasure in making up for it. She always did when a villain didn't heed the warnings she'd given about trying anything lethal with her family!

Strangely enough, the burst of energy when Maeve's and Shego's powers collided had been enough to turn the Temra hoard and send them packing. She couldn't figure it out. While she already knew she had a reputation in Kells, word of her had to have spread in Temra too. Maybe they thought that she had been responsible for the big bang. The Temrans started running and Shego turned back, shouting for any soldiers left on their feet to follow, that Maeve had gotten a force into the castle and the King was in danger. She'd just burst into the courtyard with a dozen men at her back when she felt it, a blast of meta-human energy so strong she almost felt like it should've knocked her off her feet again.

That…that wasn't Gracie. Shego had trained her daughter herself and Gracie, even when putting everything she had into it, didn't stand out like that.

At any rate, it only pushed the mother harder. Into the castle, around corners, up and down stairs; she had to get to her daughters! Shego rounded another corner. The meta energy had been building and building…and winked out. The shock hadn't been enough to break Shego's stride, though. She knew she was near Emily's room. Shego rounded another corner…and practically tackled a Temra soldier around his middle. The man hit the ground with a solid thump. Wasting no time, Shego immediately got to her hands and feet and got on top of the man. She wasn't exactly sure how a dagger had found its way into her hand but she brought it up and slammed it down into her prisoner's shoulder. With barely a second thought, Shego's free hand became engulfed in flame and she began lowering it onto the man's chest.

"Where are my children?" She breathed in a voice that chilled the heart.

The soldier's armor began to sizzle but he said nothing either out of loyalty or sheer shock at the situation he now found himself in. Either way, Shego turned up the heat and pressed a little harder. Had she looked around, she'd have seen that everyone, Kells and Temran alike, was rooted to the ground, eyes completely riveted to the scene before them.

"Where…are…my children?" She repeated in a voice that got even colder.

"I…don't know," He finally groaned, writhing under Shego's grip. "By the Gods…they…disappeared before my eyes!"

"You're going to have to do better than that," Shego growled. She kept up the pressure. For good measure, she reached over and gave the dagger a twist.

The man's resolve began to crack and the moaning and groaning became louder. Shego couldn't really say how she began aware of her audience again but her eyes darted up looking like a wolf mother about to spring on an interloper for coming too near her pups.

"Put your weapons down," She hissed. "Or by every god that ever was and ever will be, your fate will be his!"

There was a clatter of meta on the floor as every Temran dropped his weapon as if it had been turned into a cobra. Shego's eyes fell to her victim.

"And you," She growled. Shego lifted her hand and the soldier gasped in relief. "I promise that by the time this is over, I will hold your very soul in the palm of my hand and if anything happens to my children, you, and that crazy bitch of a Queen will endure a nightmare like nothing even the deepest darkest depths of your mind could dream up!"

And so, Shego led the escort down to the dungeon.

She gazed at the prisoner trussed up before her, taking a bit of savage satisfaction at how the man refused to meet her gaze. Now that she had gotten control of her nerves, she'd been able to be a bit more subtle with her interrogation. Heck, all of them were already so terrified of her that they were prepared to say just about anything. Several of the prisoners she'd interviewed had given the same story as the first. Emily and Gracie had barricaded themselves in Emily's room and Prince Ivar had been holding off the Temrans. They were a little sketchy on details after that but they all agreed that there was a giant burst of bright blue light and the next thing they knew, Gracie, Emily, Prince Ivar, the Temran leader and six of their soldiers just disappeared. They were adamant that no one in their party…Hell, no one in Temra short of the Queen herself had the power to do something like that…

…which only left one real question unanswered; how the hell did Maeve even know about Gracie and Emily? Shego hadn't breathed a word to the bitch back at her castle. Shego had goen through worse torture at the hands of DNAmy…but how did Maeve KNOW?

Shego stood in front of the prisoner and ignited a finger with plasma and began tracing it along his armor.

"How did Maeve know about my daughters," Shego breathed. "What does she want with them?"

"I…I don't…know," He gasped, naturally trying to move back from the pain. "Only…only Lord Torc…knew. We were told…they were very powerful…"

And as much as she wanted to roast this little shit like a marshmallow, as much as she wanted to cover every square inch of his skin with plasma for daring to even contemplate harming one of her babies…the man wasn't lying. A lifetime ago, that wouldn't have mattered to her…but even in this dark time where no one would raise a fuss at the behavior, she couldn't do it, wouldn't do it.

She took a deep breath and the plasma winked out. She took one last look at the man and turned and walked out of the cell, nearly walking directly into Princess Deirdre.

"Did he tell you anything?"

Shego really had to appreciate the young woman. She couldn't help but see a little of Kimmie in the girl, tough as nails, loyal to a fault. It shouldn't have been any surprise that the princess and Gracie had become fast friends and she seemed as determined to find Gracie as Shego was.

"I don't think any of them know anything more," Shego grumbled as the princess fell into line behind her. "All of them agree that some general named Torc…" Shego nearly tripped over her own feet as she heard the princess snarl and spit. Shego turned and saw the look of sheer hatred on the young woman's face. Deirdre looked like she was about to breath fire and chew barbed wire. "I take it you're familiar with the man?"

"He was once Father's most trusted general, the head of his guard," Deirdre growled. "He betrayed Kells when I was only a child…a short time after my mother died."

That at least explained how they were able to get into the castle so easily. A man like that could probably have walked the place blindfolded. Shego also had to respect Conchabar all the more. For lesser men, a defection like that would've spelled the end but from literally everything that Shego had seen, it looked like Conchabar had barely let it chink his armor.

"But he disappears right along with Gracie, Emily, and Prince Ivar," Shego mused as she made her way up the stairs out of the dungeon.

"If I may, Lady Possible," Deirdre offered as the pair continued through the hall. "Could…Lady Emily have done this? I mean, you can wield magic, Lady Grace can wield magic. Could…could the young one be learning as well?"

Shego felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The thought hadn't been lost on her. Memories of what had happened back in Enniscorthy were fuzzy with everything that had happened but…damn it, everything was matching up with before. The twins looked to be exhibiting the same symptoms Gracie had, they were about the same age…and the simple fact that they were fucking HERE! Which would mean that they…her girls could be…

"I'VE FOUND THEM!" A squeaky voice cried.

Shego whirled around to see Aideen, the little fairy, fluttering towards them at…what had to be breakneck speed for one so small.

"Where…"Shego began.

"They…" The little fairy gasped. "They made it…to Tir Na Nog!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Ivar felt as if he'd been clubbed on the shoulder with a Warhammer. His memories of the past few hours were hazy. The last thing he could clearly remember was holding off Temrans…trying to descend on…LADY GRACE; he sat bold up right…and immediately felt his right shoulder scream in protest.

"Hey, easy there," A woman's voice barked beside him. "I already healed as much as I could. The rest will take time!"

He shook his head a few times and blinked to focus his mind. He recognized the voice and turned to see Lady Grace seated beside him. His eyes darted behind her at the environment and recognized it. They were in Tir Na Nog! Ivar immediately felt the tension in his body melt away for there was likely no safer place than the land of the fairies. For the life of him, Ivar had absolutely no idea HOW they had gotten here but it was likely a fascinating story.

"I…I really need to say thank you," Ivar's eyes darted back to Lady Grace. "You…you saved my life…and my sister's and…and I…"

Before Ivar could even think to react, Lady Grace had leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. She jerked back and Ivar could see the dark patches on her cheeks, what he expected were blushes given her unusual skin color. For that matter, Ivar could feel his own cheeks coloring. Only a blind man would've failed to notice Lady Grace's beauty. Those piercing green eyes, at the same time soft and caring as well as hard as iron, gleamed like a pair of emerald gems. Her pale skin, while indeed unusual, gave her an almost exotic beauty…and her flowing red hair capped off what Ivar couldn't help but think of as perfection carved from stone, the kind of thing you would only see as a statue in his family's castle and gardens.

"I…I'm sorry…" Lady Grace's eyes couldn't quite meet his. "I hope that wasn't too forward but I…I am so turned on right now!"

Ivar…didn't recognize the term…but Lady Grace's eyes shot open growing as wide as plates. She slowly turned to him and her cheeks seemed to grow even darker.

"I…I mean…I think you're gorgeous…I mean…why…" A flurry of words and phrases that he couldn't recognize but seemed to cause the woman more and more embarrassment; strange though the words may be Ivar was quickly able to deduce their meaning, namely that while Ivar was quite certain he found Lady Grace attractive and quite good company, he had to fight off the urge to laugh. She certainly didn't seem to be in control of the words coming out of her mouth but…Ivar's feelings seem to be more than returned.

"Teehee…"

Two heads whipped around towards the noise. A small fairy was poking her head out from around the corner.

"Love should never be concealed," The fairy gave another gleeful laugh and disappeared.

"I…could…squash that little fly into dust," Lady Grace moaned as she turned back, eyes glued to the cave wall. "Just…let me die of embarrassment already!"

Ivar didn't exactly know what to say. He forced himself up to a sitting position, bringing himself level with the lady…and studied her. She finally brought her eyes up…and he caught those green gems. This woman…saved his life at the risk of her own. That was a debt that Ivar's people always repaid; but in looking at those breathtaking green eyes and…

…he leaned in and met her lips in a tender kiss. Lady Grace seemed to become stone still at first. A momentary panic shot through Ivar. Had he misread something? He was about to back away when he felt those long slender…and quite muscular…arms wrap around his chest and…he couldn't help but be impressed by how strong she was. It was as if a dam had broken. Lady Grace pushed him back onto his resting place and climbed on top of him, Ivar's wounded shoulder quickly forgotten. The passion seemed to grow and grow. Lady Grace's lips were like two feathers dancing across his skin. Every touch seemed to send a shiver down his spine…

"GRACE ANNE POSSIBLE!"

Both bodies tried to get up at the same time resulting in a tangled mess on the stone floor. Ivar shook his head to clear the cobwebs and his eyes settled on a pair of armor-clad feet. His eyes slowly rose…and he was man enough to admit that he felt a quake of fear at the sight of Lady Grace's mother standing over him, looking like she was on the verge of running him through.

"Uh…hi...Momma," Lady Grace stammered out, trying to free her legs from his. "It…uh…it's kind of a funny story how we ended up here…"

"I just…"Lady Possible had a look that could crack stone. "You…and I…are going to have a LONG talk, young lady!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego's nerves were already close to shot. She'd had to grapple with the thought of two of her children kidnapped by what amounted to a literal wicked witch…and one that already made Bonnie Rockwaller look like a beacon of mental stability…and burned information out of her minions, only to find out that one of her daughters had more than likely developed meta powers all her own and teleported herself, her older sister, a Moorish prince, and a handful of unfriendly kidnappers to the entrance to a mystical fairy kingdom. In what fucking world was that considered NORMAL?

She knew enough about Celtic mythology thanks to Kimmie and Gracie to recognize Tir Na Nog was some kind of fairy kingdom, a Celtic equivalent to Heaven. A further amazement was that the Mystic Knights already seemed to be intimately familiar with the place. The magic weapons the four possessed and the armor that went with it were apparently a gift from the fairy king, King Finvarra. Princess Deirdre had immediately called for horses and the remaining Knights escorted Shego to the entrance.

Things didn't exactly get better. The Knights led her to a stone circle that reminded her of Stonehenge. Rowan called the rest of the party over and pointed to a blood trail leading towards the center of the circle, coming to an end at the foot of a big stone table. The prisoners Shego had interrogated had all mentioned Ivar had been stabbed in the shoulder. That had made the Princess understandably nervous since all of those reports also said that Ivar was in his magical armor.

Shego had ALL of that on her mind…and when she was FINALLY going to have her eldest daughter in her arms…and she walked in on Gracie…necking…with…with…

Ignoring for a moment that she'd only known this boy for what…a few days…the repercussions of this on the timeline…God, Shego had walked in on her daughter in a strange boys arms and she had to worry about the fucking time space CONTINUUM? NONE of this was normal! None of this was remotely CLOSE to normal and Shego just wanted to scream!

Shego looked up as she heard someone enter…and leveled a basilisk "mom" stare at her 16 year old daughter.

"I don't even know where to begin," Shego growled.

"You could start by not making a big deal about it," Gracie shot back.

Not make a big…?

"Now is NOT the time to be smart with me, young lady," Shego replied as calmly as she could manage. "The sheer lack of responsibility I just saw was so far out of…"

"LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY?"

Shego was caught off guard by the outburst, very uncharacteristic of her daughter even when her temper was up. Before Shego could get her bearings under her, Gracie soldiered on.

"My entire life has been responsibility," Gracie barked. "I woke up in the middle of nowhere…in a freaking different TIME! The first thing I did was find my family, anyone that I could, and keep them safe! From the moment I found Emily, my only concern was keeping anything from happening to her until I found you or Mom"

"You…you were making out with…what if I hadn't…"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Gracie burst out. "You still don't trust me! Read my lips! I am a virgin! I WILL be one until the day I say 'I do' to the person I am going to marry! And if some boy doesn't like that, whether it's a jock on the football team or a PRINCE, then so help me, I will kick him in the balls so hard that he'll sound like he should be wearing a dress afterwards! I…I was dumped by the boy that I thought…I thought I was going to marry one day! He ripped out my heart and stomped on it!"

Shego was completely taken aback. If she'd been more in control, she would've seen Kimmie standing before her…but she had enough control to feel her heart clench at that last part. Never mind the fact that she'd known Billy Murphy since the boy was only six years old. Shego felt an urge to brand the little shit like she had Doctor Dementor so many years ago.

She took a deep breath, trying to get a grip.

"Gracie…the situation we are in…if we really HAVE traveled to the past…"

"I got caught up in the moment," Gracie continued on as if Shego hadn't even spoken. "He saved me and Emily and…I'm not going to apologize for it! Ivar has been nothing but respectful to me and…and he makes me feel…"

Before Shegeo could blink, Gracie was engulfed in yellow plasma.

"And I don't have to hide from him…or anyone," Shego heard her daughter's voice catch. "I don't have to hide who I am anymore, at least not here! Today, I lost track of the number of people I healed…and I didn't have to be afraid, afraid that I will save someone and as a thank you, I'll be snatched up into some government lab. I'm…I'm HELPING people!"

Shego felt like she'd just been slapped across the face. She had been fully prepared to read her daughter the riot act as soon as she got the chance…and a part of her still was…but she hadn't expected…even considered something like this. She'd been so worried about Emily and Zoe that…

Shego could still remember as clear as a bell the day that Gracie's powers had developed. A part of Shego had actually been proud. It was like she and her daughter had developed a special connection. Shego had her brothers of course, but that relationship was complicated at the best of times; but no matter how happy she may have been, the sheer terror she'd felt during those first few months had drastically outweighed her sense of pride. There had been nights where she'd woken up engulfed in flames on a smoldering bed. Shego had burst into tears when she'd seen Kimmie cradling a burnt arm.

She was all too aware of the fate that could befall Gracie if she was ever found out. It'd been a similar night when she'd finally mustered the courage to tell her wife about those days.

Those who knew Shego best knew that she'd never made a secret out of the fact that she was glad that her biological parents were killed in the comet strike that had given she and her brothers their powers. Her "father" had been a despicable pig who'd raped her since she was 9 years old and her mother…somehow, the bitch had been worse, blaming Shego for what her father had…had done. Shego had gone to her and…and…SHEGO had been the one accused of trying to ruin their family. Shego would ALWAYS look back on that comet strike with a bit of joy; but as happy as she had been on the inside, those months after the comet strike had given the years before it a run for their money.

In the years that followed, Shego had never been able to determine exactly what government agency it was that had taken them in but they hadn't done Shego's already frayed emotions any favors. In retrospect, Shego was so much of an emotional rollercoaster at that point that even without the Feds, she likely would've turned to the dark side as it were. A 14 year old Shellie Gordon had been lying in her hospital bed enjoying her first peaceful sleep in years when the door banged open, and in marched a pair of suites and a hoard of orderlies.

Shego had been developing a good relationship with her doctor at the time, Jerome Bell. She'd learned in the years that followed that after being admitted, he'd begun to get suspicious of her home life and was preparing to take his suspicions to the authorities when their party crashers came in. He'd done his best to keep her there but…Shego remembered passing out within minutes. The bastards had sedated her!

Shego woke up later…she had absolutely no idea how long…in a white isolation room surrounded by bodies in white hasmat suits. She didn't know how long she was there but what she remembered was needles…electric shocks…being poked and prodded like one of Grandma's pin cushions. The worst was how they seemed to carry on like she wasn't even there, like she wasn't even human, like some kind of lab rat. She'd felt like she'd been alone her entire life…but this was worse, so much worse!

Shego had seen to it that her children NEVER felt that way, if it was even remotely within her power to do something about it; and that place…Shego would move Heaven and Earth, do anything to keep her children out of a place like that!

…but she had failed…at least in part. Gracie had been alone! No matter what Shego had endured, by now, the entire world knew what she could do. Shego could walk down the street engulfed in fiery plasma and know with absolute certainty that she wouldn't be snatched up and carted off to some black ops secret lab and never see her family again. Gracie…Shego's first born daughter couldn't say that. There WERE some details…okay… a lot of details that Shego had glossed over but she and Kimmie had done their best to convey the danger…and that was what Gracie had been grappling with…completely alone…without her mother to help her.

"I…I'm..sorry…Momma," The apology jarred Shego out of her internal struggle and her eyes focused again. "I lost my temper but…you don't know that it is like, having to hide who you are."

God…Shego felt like someone was twisting a knife through her heart!

"You're right" Shego breathed, trying to get a grip on her emotions. "You're right. I don't know what you've gone through. When you developed powers like me…I don't think I've ever been more scared for your safety since the moment I first held you in my arms."

"Momma, I…"

"Let me finish," Now it was Shego's turn to soldier on. "Your Mom and I told you that we had to keep your powers a secret. Maybe we took things too far not telling your grandparents, not telling Abby…but you were in danger and you needed to understand why…because I was NOT going to let them turn you into some kind of lab experiment like they did me!" Gracie looked as if she didn't understand what Shego had just said; but realization slowly began to dawn on her. "I was 14, younger than you, when federal agents stormed into my hospital room, drugged me, and took me away. They put me in an empty room…and they poked me…and stabbed…and shocked…"Shego took a deep breath. She hadn't…exactly…intended to go that far but she couldn't stop. "It felt like they were trying to tear me apart, strip away everything that they didn't need so they could turn what was left into some kind of weapon."

"Momma…"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Gracie," Shego continued. "You've been going through this for so long and…and I failed you as a parent."

Now it was Gracie who looked like she'd been slapped.

"Gracie…I know it isn't fair," Shego breathed, fighting with every fiber of her being to keep tears from flowing down her cheeks. "My children should never feel ashamed of or afraid of who they are…but I WAS afraid, afraid that you would go through what I went through…that someone would take my baby girl away from me…and I did the very thing that I wanted to prevent."

"Momma…I…I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to…"

Not for the first time, Shego couldn't help but wish that Kim was here. Kimmie was always so sure in situations like this. Shego was self-aware enough to know just how protective…and yes, sometimes overprotective…she could be when it came to her children. Kimmie had always been the one who balanced Shego out. Shego was so confused…and scared. This conversation had started out about Shego walking in on Gracie in the arms of a boy she hardly knew and now…Shego wouldn't have been at all surprised if the next words out of her daughter's mouth were that Gracie wanted to stay here, not for some boy, but because…Shego had let her daughter feel so repressed about her abilities that she was prepared to grasp anything to feel free…and Shego couldn't blame her!

"Momma…" Gracie seemed to finally pull her senses into line. "What are you afraid of?" It hadn't been the response Shego was expecting but before she could respond, Gracie darted up and wrapped her Momma in a hug. "You didn't…you never…I mean…I never meant to make you feel like…like you were…"Shego felt her daughter quiver and held her tight as daughter began weeping into mother's shoulder. "I love you Momma! I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Muffin," Shego hugged her daughter right back."

 _Author's Notes:_

 _It's been FOREVER since I've been able to post. Chapters had just been accumulating in my notebook and I finally sat down to write!_

" _In the Borderlands, sheepherder, when someone has the raising of a child, that child is theirs, the Dark One take any who say different." Shego is the kind of parent that I hope and pray I can be. If I am ever blessed with children, I will devote every fiber of my being to them._


	21. Chapter 21

Gracie felt like she was walking on eggshells as she waited outside the chamber, thinking back to what she was pretty sure was the night before. It wasn't really easy to gauge time down here.

"Gracie…we can't stay here" Momma had replied, not wanting to release Gracie, "We can't leave our family like that."

"I know, Momma," Gracie replied. "I…but…but I feel like there's a reason why we're here," She broke away and tried to scrub at her tears. When the Temran leader stabbed Prince Ivar…I mean, after Em transported us here and Ivar got us into the caves, I went to heal him and…and something was stopping me. More than that, whatever it was was HURTING me every time I tried. I've never seen anything like it before. King Finvarra said that I wasn't strong enough to heal it alone. These people…these fairies are like the original metahumans. I mean, think about it. Think about what we can learn from them while we're here. Think what EMILY can learn from them!

Strangely enough, it didn't look like Momma had really considered that. From the stories Gracie had heard, Momma and her brothers had basically had to teach their powers and they'd pretty much stumbled through it but…he situation Gracie's family now found themselves in…it could answer a lot of questions about their meta-human abilities, questions Momma hadn't even thought to ask yet. Momma had filled Gracie in a little on the battle and how Queen Maeve was able to use meta-human powers with a stone was one of the biggest. Gracie flashed back to how Momma had described what she went through…and Gracie felt another pang of shame and guilt at how she acted…and Gracie'd seen enough scifi movies to know that trying to…doing what they did was the stuff of nightmares. With another Possible now showing signs of her own powers, Momma…and whether she wanted to admit it or not, Gracie…owed it to Emily to try and find answers to those problems.

It just felt…liberating…not having to worry about her abilities or hide them. It was amazing that she hadn't realized until traveling through time just HOW liberating this was; but…

Gracie still had no idea if they were ever going to make it home again…and if she was honest, a small part of her almost hoped they'd be able to stay in Kells…at least for a while. Mary and Jimmy…the team…would understand…but what was she doing to them by messing around in ancient Ireland? Was she going to kiss Ivar…and suddenly Middleton would be struck by an earthquake? Could she go riding with Princess Deirdre and Mary would be turned into a frog? But…she couldn't just stand around…literally. As terrified as she was of hurting her friends and family that were still in the present, Momma was right. She'd said that simply by being here, they'd change things. Like Uncle Ron had said, time travel was nothing but a cornucopia of disturbing concepts. Only God could know everything or how everything was supposed to play out; but if it could be argued that…

Gracie raised her fingers and rubbed her temples in frustration. Time travel WAS a cornucopia of disturbing concepts…and gave her a whopper of a headache.

"Are you ready, Gracie?"

Gracie jumped from her internal reverie and turned to see Emily. Once again, the elder Possible couldn't help but envy her little sister. It seemed that the fates could plant the Possible family in literally any scenario that could be imagined and dependable innocent Emily would take it all in stride like it ws some kind of game. Gracie could see a pair of young looking fairies riding like the proverbial angel and devil, faces seeming to be on the verge of laughter.

"Can anyone be ready to meet with a fairy king?" Gracie gave a weak laugh as she climbed to her feet.

This meeting had been on Gracie's mind all day. Her first encounter with King Finvarra had been rather rushed. After Ivar had been healed, the man…or fairy…had all but disappeared from sight, instead electing to send…maybe you couldn't really call them servants…but all of them were very adamant that the King wanted to see both Mother and daughters at the same time.

Gracie got to her feet and went over to Emily, taking her hand and leading her through the chamber. She felt her little sister's hand tighten around her own. Gracie'd been grappling with her own internal prblems for the last few hours but she'd known that Momma had sad Em down and explained to Emily at least a part of what was going on. Gracie had to admit…she felt more than a little guilty about not being able to be there for her sister. Gracie knew that Momma had never intended to make Gracie feel…wel…Emily…AND Zoe if they ever managed to get back to their own time…were certainly going to have their big sis to help them through this.

"Are..you mad at me?" Gracie spoke the words before she could stop herself. "For…for not telling you?"

"Not really," Emily squeezed Gracie's hand reassuringly. "Momma told me how big of a secret this is and little kids aren't very good at keeping secrets."

Gracie had to fight a burst of laughter. As far as SHE was concerned, her sisters still WERE little kids but she couldn't deny a feeling of relief. Maybe she didn't give her sisters enough credit.

The pair kept moving and quickly approached Momma and the Mystic Knights, all waiting for them outside the throne room. Gracie's eyes quickly found Prince Ivar's and she found her cheeks heating up. She couldn't help it! Even with all of the warnings Momma had given her…there was a connection. Gracie felt a spark with him. It wasn't just that he was…absolutely spanking gorgeous…Gracie couldn't explain what it was. She hadn't felt like this since…since Billy…oh to heck with it… since Billy Murphy broke her heart! She hadn't WANTED to get to know any other boys…but Ivar, even if it was just…what was the line she'd read in Brit Lit…"ships that pass in the night"…even if it was only for a moment, she wanted to be with him, to feel that kind of connection.

"Are you ready?" Momma's question yanked Gracie back to reality.

"As I'll ever be," Gracie breathed.

She took Momma's hand and the three women marched into the throne room with the Mystic Knights in tow. The scene that met them was…an eye-opener to say the least. The "throne room" looked like a perpetual party. She'd seen pictures in World Studies of Carnival in Brazil and…if Carnival had taken place in a cave, the scene before her wouldn't be too far off. Everyone looked to be the size of Aideen and were decked out in every color of the rainbow and several that she couldn't even begin to describe. Gracie did a double take and tried not to stare at several lithe creatures with bulbous yellow eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was offend someone who could turn her into a toad.

"Greetings, honored guests!"

Gracie's eyes fell upon the thankfully familiar sight of King Finvarra, seated on a throne that appeared to be carved out of a slab of smooth stone. All activity seemed to cease and all of the fairies and creatures turned their attention to the king.

"It is a great pleasure," Momma replied, giving a slight bow of the head. "Thank you for seeing us, your Highness."

King Finvarra rose from his throne and beckoned them down to one knee.

"I expect that questions must abound," The king began, "especially for three such as you, plucked out of time and so new to the magic that flows within them."

Gracie felt Momma's hand tighten. He knew! He knew that they'd travel through time! Gracie's head turned towards their friends behind them. It didn't seem to register with them right away but Gracie saw Princess Deirdre"s eyes grow as she was the first to realize the implications of what King Finvarra had just revealed. Rowan and Angus looke between themselves, both clearly not sure how to respond and Ivar…Ivar didn't appear to be phased.

"Your Majesty…I…" Momma seemed at a loss for words. "We…we can't…"

"Oh fear not," King Finvarra smiled and seemed to wave away their worries. "There is no danger to your being here. The fates are indeed mysterious but they assure me that there is no danger to those you love," Finvarra seemed to stare directly at Momma, "and even less to your Love and her party."

Love and…MOM! He had to be talking about Mom and the rest! He knew where they were! King Finvarra must've been able to guess their train of thought and continued. "I see from your faces that you hadn't known. Indeed, they went farther than you, having quite the adventure of their own."

They'd gone farther back? Gracie wasn't sure what to think of that, Momma had guessed that she, Gracie and Em were in some time before the birth of Christ. If Mom and everyone else had gone even farther…man, what were they likely to find? Dinosaurs? Cavemen?

"Your Majesty…how did this happen?" Momma continued. "I mean…I know it has something to do with my daughter's abilities but…why did we end up here and the rest of our party end up somewhere else?"

Kin Finvarra explained that it had to do with the fact that Em and Zoe were twins. Separately, their powers centered around to some kind of teleportation, sort of like waking through walls. Each could transport themselves, others, even solid objects through solid matter, basically to any location that they could picture in their minds. If they focused, they could "jump" from place to place in the blink of an eye. When they were together, however…well…THIS could happen. Being twins, it sounded sort of like Finvarra was saying that they were two halves of the same power. When they were together, it was like…the only thing Gracie could think of for some reason was some horrible Uncle Ron had made them watch that had to do with some kind of mystical dragon medallion that had been split in half and the powers activiated when you joined them…and when Em and Zoe "joined", they had enough power to…well…

Gracie looked over at her little sis, gauging how she was handling it. Momma had always said that Gracie had handled the idea of "superpowers" pretty well for a 12 year old…but that had been the ability to heal. King Finvarra had basically told an 11 year old girl that when she and her sister were together, they pretty much had the power to shatter the space time continuum. How the heck was a kid supposed to respond to something like that? Gracie couldn't thin what trying to ground them would be like for Mom and Momma.

Momma seemed to be mulling over much the same train of thought, shaking her head as if to file the information away for later, and turned back towards the Fairy King. A thought seemed to dawn on her…and Gracie had to suppress a gasp as the same thought dawned on her. They had to be together! In order to travel through time, the twins had to be together! That meant that Momma, Em, and Gracie were…stuck.

"Your majesty…does that mean…"

King Finvarra gave a frustrated sigh and slumped his shoulders, as if studying a particularly difficult problem.

"Alas…yes and no," The king replied. "The young ones' abilities are such that one can't muster the power necessary without the other; but that doesn't mean that there aren't ways around such difficulties. The problem in THAT is finding a source of magic strong enough to join with her…and having someone to guide the lass in using it. Many such objects exist...but are not to be trifled with lightly."

At…least that was something.

"Is that what I've been feeling?" Momma mused. "Uh, forgive me, your Majesty. These powers were given to my brothers and I when…when a great lump of rock hit our home. Ever since that day we can all…feel…the others around us, sense them. Since coming here…I feel it everywhere. I felt it in Maeve's dungeon from the stone on her scepter," Momma motioned back towards the Mystic Knights. "I feel it from their weapons…"

"You feel it too?" Gracie blurted out.

King Finvarra smiled and continued as if she hadn't said anything.

"Indeed, you have come into your gifts splendidly. You see," King Finvarra sat back onto his throne, like a man about to tell a story. "All magic, both good and evil, is connected. It exists in all things, in all peoples and creatures in some small way. Many eons ago, many such rocks like the one that struck you struck the land around us, and thus, fairies and mortals were born,"

This was amazing! King Finvarra explained that while magic…or meta-human plasma as she had to keep reminding herself to call it…existed in literally everything, it sort of began to fade in humans to the point that they lost it for good. Those who were even able to remember it needed a piece of the original stones to use it. That was partially how the Mystic Knights could do what they did. Their weapons, for lack of a better word, tapped into whatever magic still resided in them and amplified and channeled it. It was the same with Queen Maeve and the stone Momma had mentioned…

…which also explained how Momma and her brothers had gotten their powers in the first place; King Finvarra couldn't say for sure but his theory was that the impact of the meteor had reawakened the dormant powers within them…

…which ALSO led to another explanation, namely why everyone seemed to have different powers. Mother and daughters had noticed that while all of the fairies they had seen so far seemed to share certain features like child-like ageless faces, each one seemed to have almost a strange hue to their skin that resembled the colors of the clothes they wore. Gracie hadn't ever really given it much thought but as it turned out, the powers one developed was a very person al matter. Apparently, how you developed powers depended entirely on the type of mind you had, how you thought about the world. There didn't seem to be any particular rhyme or reason to the color that came with it but the power itself centered around the mind. They way King Finvarra explained it, it was similar to one person being good at numbers and another being good at story telling. Their minds just worked differently. King Finvarra looked at Momma…and Gracie felt like he was about to say something about her powers but instead turned to Gracie. The core of Gracie's being was a desire to help people, to end pain, so her abilities naturally gravitated towards healing.

"But, alas, it would take an age to explain everything there is to know about magic. The more pressing matter is getting you home before other forces set themselves to trying to make use of you."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as the column of horses approached the gates. Trumpets sounded, cheers echoed from every direction; she hear Kimmie's motto "So not the drama" echoing through her head.

Their visit to Tir na Nog had proved to be a bit of a relief, to be honest. Time Travel was indeed a cornucopia of disturbing concepts. The Ripple Effect was an insult to cinema but the analogy seemed to fit. Throwing a stray pebble into the water DI cause a ripple effect; but if the pebble could be thrown far enough out into the water, it would still cause ripples, true enough, but the ripples would've subsided before they reached the shore you had thrown it from. Finvarra seemed absolutely convinced that Shego and her daughters had gone far enough back in the time that the ripples they caused wouldn't affect the present. Shego, Gracie, and Emily would move freely without fear of drastically altering the future.

Shego chanced a look back at Gracie. "Moving freely" was a bit of a double-edged sword. Gracie and Prince Ivar hadn't really talked about it since returning to the surface. To tell the truth, Shego hadn't really heard any of the Mystic Knights say much of anything since they began the journey back to the castle. She supposed she couldn't really blame them. Time travel would've been hard enough to process in the 21st century, let alone in a century where they likely hadn't even journeyed outside of Ireland.

But Shego couldn't get that…image…out of her mind. Intellectually, she…she knew that she shouldn't worry. Gracie never HAD given her parents any reason to doubt her assurances…on that particular subject. Shego KNEW that! And…she had to force herself to admit that seeing someone else was probably a good thing.

But this WASN'T some spring vacation romance with a village boy in Enniscorthy! Something like this was so far outside the realm of possibility that it made Shego's head hurt!

The party came to a halt at the gates of the castle and the massive doors began to creak open, revealing a cheering crowd, at its head, a grinning King Conchabar and Cathbad. The column came to a halt and slid off their horses. Shego sank to one knee before the King and pressed a fist to her heart in a salute.

"Rise," King Conchabar rapidly motioned as he approached them. "You kneel to no one here!" Shego couldn't suppress a smile at the unintentional reference, especially given what she'd said before the battle. The party rose to their feet. "Thanks to you, Lady Shego, we've dealt Maeve a blow she won't recover from for some time!" He turned towards Gracie. "And thanks to you, Lady Grace, many fathers have returned to their children, sons that have returned to their mothers. My people owe you a tremendous debt." He gave a small nod, as if settling on something. He turned his attention to his troops and those cheering villagers that could be seen through the gate. "My people," The cheering quieted as if someone had hit a "mute" button. "The evil Queen has attacked our home…and we have beaten them back!" The cheers erupted and quieted as he continued. "They have dishonored themselves by shedding blood on this blessed Ostara…but let that make our celebration all the sweeter." The cheers were less boisterous but echoed all the same. "In the days that follow, let us bless this season…and let us remember the lives that we have lost to make it so."

This time, one of the soldiers sounded a war cry that his comrades quickly took up. The king gae one last smile and motioned for the party to come aside.

"I trust we have much to discuss."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The silence in the throne room was so thick, you'd need an axe to cut through it.

King Conchabar had led the party back into the castle as the sounds of celebration began pounding outside. The ride back to Kells had been one of the most awkward of Gracie's life. She didn't know about Momma but Gracie'd never expected King Finvarra to drop the time travel bomb on everyone. I mean…it was a relief knowing that their being here wasn't going to put the future…or the present…whatever…at risk; but how did you explain something like that to someone like Princess Deirdre…or…Ivar…; none of the party would even look at her. Had they been giving her the cold shoulder? Gracie couldn't even begin to guess…but she couldn't help but feel a growing sense of betrayal, at least towards Deirdre. She'd gone above and beyond to help Gracie and Emily and when they had absolutely no one, worse than that, when they weren't sure if the rest of their family was even alive. Gracie…Gracie wouldn't go so far as to say what she did was wrong but…Gracie looked into that face, that dumbstruck questioning face, and Gracie felt sick to her stomach.

"Your Majesty…" Momma's voice breaking the silence was like a cannon going off. "Please…forgive our deception but…until we could be certain that our loved ones were safe…we…we couldn't risk changing anything."

Gracie saw movement out of the corner of her eye and saw that the statement seemed to be enough to jar Princess Deirdre out of her musings, her eyes immediately seeking out Gracie's…and the teenage Possible was trapped in her gaze. Her gaze was still unreadable…but whatever questions she had been puzzling out, Gracie had to suppress a quiver as it looked like she'd found the answers she'd been looking for. Before Gracie even could blink, the Princess was standing before her.

"Princess…I…" Gracie braced herself, fully expecting to be slapped.

"A friend…out of time," Deirdre breathed, barely loud enough to hear.

Gracie braced herself for the blow…and grunted as the Princess wrapped her arms around Gracie and pulled her tight. Gracie was so shocked Deirdre may as well HAVE slapped her. She gave a small laugh and let go, returning to her father's side.

"Indeed, my daughter is write," King Conchabar said with a smile, getting to his feet. "The fairies have knowledge of things far beyond our comprehension. While I can't begin to understand what brought you to our lands, that doesn't change the fact that you have done far more for my people than most have done in their lives. If my family faced such a risk as you believed yours to be, I can't say that I would've acted differently."

There was a rumble of agreement through the court.

"But enough of apologies," The King continued. "We must find you a way home!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Midar let out a light chuckle as he remained secluded behind the tapestry. For over a thousand years, the dark fairy had been awaiting a chance like this. For over a millennia, Finvarra had lorded his command of Tir Na Nog over Midar, banishing him to the deepest darkest levels of the underworld while Finvarra and his cronies reveled in their riches and celebrations, riches that by all rights should've been his. Dominion over these lands, not just Tir Na Nog, should've been HIS! All creatures would bow to his will and he would be a God!

But this new revelation was intriguing. Even Finvarra wouldn't have been able to keep the arrival of the three beings that stood before him a secret for long. Midar's spies had easily gotten word to him. The small one…they all looked so human…was the key to everything, it appeared. Her power was such that it could do the impossible!

"And they will be good enough to lead me to another stone," Midar cackled to himself.

The three before him would've been prize enough…but another stone would cement Midar's destiny. He'd made use of them in the past, even gifted one to Maeve for her petty affairs; but if Finvarra had hinted at the existence of larger stronger stones…

Midar WOULD rule all…and he would burn any who stood in his path.

He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of green flame.

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Hope you guys appreciated "The Ripple Effect" joke._


	22. Chapter 22

It was strange, Deirdre thought, as she and Lady Grace…or "Gracie" as she repeatedly asked Deirdre to call her…marched through the festival. Recent events had been unusual enough for her when she'd thought that…Gracie…and her family were strangers from another land. Now…Deirdre's mind absolutely buzzed with questions about the future that her new friend and companion came from. What…what wonders had she witnessed? What wonders could Gracie tell Deirdre were yet to come?

Unfortunately, answers to those questions were very few. Apparently, the miracle that had brought them here was something that those in the future had spent a great deal of time speculating about. They'd arrived at the conclusion that to travel through time was in fact quite dangerous. While intentions may be noble, only the Gods could say for certain what your efforts could produce. If Gracie were to answer Deirdre's many questions… who was to say how the revelation of that knowledge could affect Gracie's own time.

Gracie did find herself freer to speak about herself and her family, though, which Deirdre found nearly as fascinating. Strangely enough, her new friend's life seemed not that different from Deirdre's own; most days were spent in studies and lessons, the rest spent in a mixture of her many interests such as fighting music, and this strange game of "basket ball". There seemed to be very little that Gracie didn't have at least some interest in.

Deirdre had felt a well of sympathy rise up when Gracie had mentioned what had brought them to Kells…or what she had referred to as "Ireland". She spoke of a sweetheart, a close friend since their childhood days, who she'd hoped would one day father her children…and the miserable dog broke her heart. Until that point, it'd seemed like the kind of love one heard about in stories and legends and…

…and her interactions with Ivar suddenly took on a whole new meaning. She fancied Ivar! While she'd never thought of the man as anything more than a friend, Deirdre could still certainly understand why. He was brave, loyal, strong. She'd seen enough women in the village make eyes at him…and often heard the comments they made when the girls thought she was out of earshot. What's more, from what Deirdre had seen…it looked an awful lot like Ivar shared Gracie's feelings. Even if it was something quick and brief, she couldn't help but think that it would be good for both of them.

The pair came to a halt in the village square where a collection of musicians had begun playing. The pair of ladies began clapping along to a lively tune that Gracie particularly seemed to enjoy. Deirdre had a decent appreciation of music. She was a fair dancer and if she was honest with herself, she was BARELY fair on the lyre. Gracie, however, appeared to be…well…"passionate" didn't quite seem to go far enough. Stranger still, she seemed to go far enough. Stranger still, she seemed to know more about this style of music than Deirdre herself knew.

The song came to an end and the crowd began cheering and clapping.

"Hey," An idea had suddenly struck Deirdre. "Why don't you sing something?"

"Me?" Gracie actually looked bashful!

"Of course," Deirdre darted behind her friend and began pushing her up towards the musicians.

The performers' eyes grew and they bowed. "Princess Deirdre," One of them stammered out. "You honor us with your presence."

Deirdre smiled. "The honor is mine for hearing such splendid music. I wonder if I might ask your group a small favor."

"Anything," He assured her.

Deirdre glanced at her friend and savored the color in her cheeks.

"I was hoping that you might be generous enough to let my friend sing a song with you."

"Deirdre…you really don't…"

"Don't listen to her," Deirdre interrupted. "She has the voice of a lark."

The leader looked back towards his band, gauging their reaction. None seemed to be against it so the leader turned back and happily agreed.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Princess or no, Gracie was about ready to slap her companion. The band seemed eager enough to give her a chance but what the heck was she supposed to sing? She'd started mentally running through songs as quick as she could. A lot of her repertoire had at least some Gaelic in it but…how far back did these songs go?

She took a deep breath and hummed a few bars of Nil se'n la and heaved a sight of relief when two of the band members recognized it.

One of the band members who didn't recognize the song appeared to be holding what looked like some form of a bodhran.

"Would you mind if I borrowed that?"

Gracie took the drum and on the count of three began tapping a beat.

 _Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá  
Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill  
Solas ard atá sa ghealaigh_

 _Tell me that the night is long  
Tell me that the moon is glowing  
Fill my glass, I'll sing a song  
And will start the music flowing_

The crowd began clapping along. Gracie subconsciously began moving into her practiced dance steps for the song.

 _Don't go out into the cold  
Where the wind and rain are blowing  
For the fire is flaming gold  
And in here the music's flowing_

As the song continued, she began to relax a little. This was just another show.

 _Fill my glass, I'll sing a song  
And we'll keep the music streaming  
Until all the songs are sung  
Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá  
Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill  
Solas ard atá sa ghealaigh_

She loved this part. The drum wasn't exactly the same as her trusty bodhran back home but her fingers went into a solo

 _Níl sé ina lá, níl a ghrá  
Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
Níl sé ina lá is ní bheidh go fóill  
Solas ard atá sa ghealaigh_

The instruments fell silent and cheers erupted from the crowd that appeared to have doubled in size from the time Gracie started. She looked back at the band, smiled, and motioned for them to step up and take a bow. She looked around the crowd of faces and saw Deirdre, clapping harder than anyone…

…and standing behind her was Ivar, a…a devastating smile plastered across that gorgeous face. Was that why Deidre had made her sing? Was she trying to…I mean…Momma had found out and that had taken up much of Gracie's focus but…she'd never really thought about…had she been so obvious that…?

Gracie wanted to shout in unyielding white hot fury as she began to feel her damn cheeks turning purple! It felt like taking vile-tasting medicine but Gracie returned the drum and walked up to the pair.

"What…what did you think?"

"You were divine," He breathed.

Gracie's cheeks grew even hotter. She couldn't tell for sure but she'd have guessed they had to be bordering on black. She glanced over at Deirdre. Well…in for a penny, in for a pound. She leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm…glad you're talking to me again," She smiled as she settled back onto her feet. "We never really talked after Finvarra…said what he did. Deirdre, could we have a few moments in private?"

"Oh," Gracie wanted to smack that smug grin right off of her face. "Gladly!"

Gracie rolled her eyes at the Princess's retreating back. Dear God, Hollywood couldn't write this any better if they tried. She had a thing for a guy she'd met…in the past. On one side she had someone from her own time trying to keep them apart and now…now she had someone from the past trying to shove her right into his arms.

"I think I owe you an apology, Lady Grace," Ivar bowed his head. "It was never my intention to make you think that I was avoiding talking to you."

"Ivar, I think we're to the point where you can call me 'Gracie'," She took a seat on a nearby crate and motioned for Ivar to sit next to her. "I know what Finvarra said had to be a lot to work through. I was only teasing but…all of you did so much for us and…you and I kind of…I'm just a little unsure about…where you and I stand right now."

Ivar took the offered seat.

"I…meant what I said back there," It'd taken all the nerve that Gracie possessed to get those words out…but it seemed as good a place to start as any. She still felt like strangling that little fly of a fairy but… "I like you, Ivar," She stated. "I…didn't think I'd feel this way for a while but…I sure didn't expect it to happen here."

"My…mother often said that…well…I can't translate it exactly but it was something like…the greatest moments for one's soul often can be the briefest."

That was very poetic. Gracie found herself wishing she could meet the woman…and couldn't believe that she was thinking about meeting the parents already…but it was opening enough for the pair of young souls to settle in for a long talk. After hearing Finvarra's words, once he'd come to terms with the truth of it, Ivar was expecting that Gracie would return with her family to their own time when they found an opportunity; and Ivar was committed to helping them in any way that he could; but he confided in her that he couldn't help but think about her family staying. He honestly felt the same way about Gracie and not just because she'd saved his life. She'd been a little surprised to learn that, at least in terms of her personality, she hardly would've stood out in his kingdom. As he put it, women in his lands were as gentle as the sunshine…and as fierce as a spring storm. Gracie couldn't help but blush again. He thought that she was the first sign of home since he'd arrived on this island.

"Gracie…if it is only to be moments between us, then it will only be a few moments," His hand slid on to her knee. "Better to sacrifice forever with strangers for even a few moments with a…a loving…"

Gracie felt a quiver as Ivar leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. Even as she felt herself kiss him back, that phrase echoed through her head. "Loving". What did…how did…did Ivar…love her? Gracie couldn't see how. She considered herself about as romantic as the next person but she didn't really know if…well…she didn't LOVE him, no…at least…not yet. She was honest enough with herself and liked to think that she was mature enough to know that…

…Gracie had to suppress a laugh. If only Momma could hear her thoughts right now…

…but a part of her really DID want to stay wrapped up in Ivar's arms, even if it was only for a few moments.

She pulled away, breaking the kiss.

"Ivar…are you sure about this?" She still had to catch her breath, raising her hand to her chest to feel her heart trying to beat right out of her ribcage. "I…the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. Are you sure that…I mean…I'm not prepared to…go that far. I've never…" The words were sticking in her throat like molasses. "The first person I'm going to…be…with is the one I'm going to marry. I've promised my parents and…and my God. Are you…can you…be okay with that?"

Her eyes remained riveted on his face, looking for even the slightest cues. Gracie hadn't really known exactly HOW to say something like that to Ivar. She didn't think that Ivar would've pushed it but…that guard leering at her wet clothes kept sneaking into her mind. She felt her left hand twitch in anticipation of forming into a fist.

Ivar looked like he'd been caught more than a little off guard. His eyes had gotten big…and Gracie almost thought she saw a hint of a blush…

 _Please be okay with this_ , Gracie pleaded internally.

Ivar finally seemed to come to his senses, turning to face her. He didn't LOOK angry or disappointed. He didn't LOOK like Gracie was going to have to get physical or anything. He heaved a sigh and his hand snuck in to hers.

"Yours…is a strange time, to say the least," He breathed, squeezing her hand tightly. "But so be it." His almond eyes locked with hers. "You are a very beautiful woman, Lady Grace Possible, and that beauty is far more than merely the physical." He smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek, sending a jolt of pleasure down Gracie's spine. "Now…would you care to dance with me?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego heaved a sigh as she saw Gracie get up and haul the Prince back towards the square to start dancing. She'd seen the pair sitting together, discussing SOMETHING. Shego would've given anything to be able to listen in over all the chaos going on around them.

The entire village seemed to be near fever pitch since the return of Gracie, Em, and Prince Ivar and the festival had become quite the jubilant celebration. She couldn't help but feel an enormous swell of pride as Gracie had gotten up and started singing. For a few moments, she almost felt like she and the family were back in Enniscorthy.

God, if Kimmie were here, she'd know what to do with Gracie; she, with the exception of Gracie's accident…always knew what to do with this stuff. Shego…Shego missed her so much! She wanted to hold he precious redhead in her arms, to hug her daughter. If…WHEN…WHEN they got back, she was going to take Nicky up into her arms and never let him go, even if she had to bring him into the classroom. She'd find a way to make it work. She…she just wanted her family back!

"May I join you?"

Shego jumped to her feet, the chainmail shirt clinking. She must've been in one hell of a trance. She turned to see a smiling King Conchabar. She gave a bow and ushered for him to sit next to her.

"It's strange."

"What is, your majesty?"

"It seems that no matter the age we come from," Shego followed to Gracie and Prince Ivar. "We continue to worry about our children."

Shego felt her cheeks heat up in a blush. She probably hadn't been as subtle as she should've been.

"My wife and I were trying to help her forget about a miserable pig that broke her heart…"

"You need not fear that Ivar would ever take liberties with…"

"It's not…exactly…the Prince I'm worried about," Shego took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. "She will always be my little miracle baby."

"Miracle?"

She looked at him. "Her mother saved me…in almost every way that a person COULD be saved," Shego turned back towards her daughter. "I was in the service of…" How the hell did she describe Drakken to an ancient Irish King? "I guess you could call him a dark wizard…but that would be being generous. He was actually a bumbling fool. My wife Kimberly FREQUENTLY made him look like an even bigger fool…so unknown to me, he and a cohort had put a spell on me so that at our next meeting, if we so much as touched each other, she could conceive a child." The King's eyes grew pretty big. Shego couldn't help but smile at how she'd half-assed an explanation of how Drakken's sick and despicable plan had played out. "Because of my abilities, I couldn't have children of my own…and I would never have done something like that to my worst enemy. I…let's be honest, I was a criminal…but I still had a code that I lived by. I tracked Kim down and gave her my word that I would provide for her and the baby…and…by the Grace of God, we made it work. It was like we both finally realized something that was obvious all along. We loved each other! We had Gracie, and then Emily and her twin sister Zoey…and Nicky…my baby boy Nicky…"The thought of Nicky made her trail off, looking towards the horizon. She didn't know how long she stared but began to feel a small tear roll down her cheek.

"Lady Possible," The words were like a lightning bolt. "I give you my word, swear to whatever Gods brought you hear, that we will find a way to send you back to your family," Before Shego could react, King Conchabar drew a dagger sheathed at his belt and ran it across his left palm. "So mote it be!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Rowan tightened the straps on the armor they'd had made or Lady Grace…or Gracie, correcting himself. He fought to suppress a laugh, not at…Gracie…but just at the situation in which they now found themselves. His dream seemed like a lifetime ago. He'd dreamed of strange visitors…and now he was securing the armor of a girl from the future, a fairy…at least in part, to be sure…that could heal even the gravest wounds, saving the lives of many that Rowan counted as good friends. She was the daughter of a…the only phrase Rowan could think of that would do justice was "Warrior Goddess"…that could wield flame the same way that Rowan wielded a sword…and who many in the ranks were saying that she had beaten back Maeve with her bare hands and personally hunted down the Temra soldiers who tried to kidnap…Gracie…and her young sister. The Gods help anyone else who had to stand against the woman.

"Everything feel alright?" he asked, stepping back and allowing the woman to turn and get a feel for it. Rowan watched as the girl, scarcely younger than himself, checked the armor with a precession that spoke of years of experience. In the name of the Crone, what sort of world had this wonder come from?

"It'll take some getting used to," Gracie grunted. "But I think I can make it work," She smiled back at him.

Rowan returned the smile and motioned for her to follow to the other side of the armory, coming to a stop in front of the racks of weapons. He'd seen Gracie practicing with Princess Deirdre the day before. Her style of fighting was strange to say the least. He could see bits and pieces of his own style but the majority of it was much more fast paced and aggressive, something she referred to as "kendo".

She hefted up a bow and a quiver of arrows. At Rowan's suggestion, she also belted a shortsword around her waist and strapped a bronze buckler around her left forearm.

"How do I look?" She gave a little laugh as she turned to face him.

"If the Temrans didn't already quake with fear at the sight of you," Rowan replied. "By Dagda, they will now." He motioned her towards the doors. "Let's find you a mount."

In addition to being more than fearsome with a blade, Rowan had already seen that his new charge was quite adept at horsemanship as well. The pair entered the stables and she stepped up to a brown mare and proceeded to check its hooves and teeth like any Master of horse. There seemed to be nothing that this Lady didn't excel at.

"Does this one have a name?" She asked.

Rowan's eyes narrowed on the horse. Most of the horses in this part of the stable were set aside for the Mystic Knights and other commanders in the King's army. A few of them had been given names by officers that were especially partial to them but the one Gracie'd chosed didn't have a name that Rowan could recall.

"Well…we'll just have to fix that," She turned towards the horse. "You know, you kind of remind me of a horse at my Uncle's ranch. You look like an 'Andromeda'. We can call you 'Romy' for short. How's that sound?"

As if to answer, the horse nuzzled Gracie's shoulder and gave a whinny.

"I'd say she approves," Rowan smiled as he went to get a saddle for his own horse. "An interesting name; where did it come from?"

"An old legend," Gracie answered as she began helping with the straps. "Andromeda was a princess who was to be sacrificed to a sea monster, all to appease the God of the Sea. Her mother had angered the God by bragging of her daughter's beauty, saying she was as beautiful as his daughters. The kingdom's priest abducted her and chained her to a rock in the harbor. At the last moment, she was saved by Perseus, a great hero and a half-God. When he freed her, the pair destroyed the sea monster. The Father of the Gods was so impressed by their bravery that he made pictures of them in the sky."

That was quite the legend. Gracie continued to explain that the name "Andromeda" loosely translated to "Ruler of Man". Rowan gave a laugh. Princess Deirdre would certainly appreciate it.

Speaking of the Princess, the doors opened to reveal her, leading the remainder of the Knights and Lady Possible.

The task before them was rather unusual. According to King Finvarra, without Lady Emily's twin sister, Lady Emily's magic wasn't strong enough to bring her family back. Their only hope was to recover a stone, not unlike the one that stood atop Maeve's scepter. If it had been a question of stealing the scepter…it would've been a challenge but one that Rowan might actually have enjoyed…but the stone they needed would need to be bigger…MUCH bigger…and the Possibles were the only ones who could sense it…and could be anywhere on this island.

In the end, the only plan they could do was split up. The only other information that Finvarra or Aideen could give them was to look in places of great magic, not unlike the locations where Maeve had summoned dark creatures…or the lairs of the Sentinels of Temra. To that end, the Knights would split into pairs. Gracie would accompany Rowan and Princess Deirdre while Ivar and Angus would be responsible for protecting Lady Possible. The Princess had seemed…well…wary of Ivar guarding Lady Possible but Ivar had assured both that it wouldn't be a problem.

It had to be something beyond him and right now he had more to worry about.

"So where do you think you will look first?" Rowan asked as he began saddling his own horse.

"Ivar and I thought we might pay the old Rock Hound of Temra a visit," Angus boasted as he slung his mace over his shoulder and led out an already saddled horse. The thief always was one to avoid work. "Seems as good a place to start as any. Temran patrols should be light in that area this time of year so we should be able to sneak in with none the wiser."

Angus knew the place well enough. Rowan had discussed it with Deirdre the night before and thought they would start with Pyre's cave. If nothing else, they would be able to enlist the dragon's aid in the search. If that failed, his gut was saying that the next place should be the Lightning Bat's lair.

"Are you sure Emily will be safe if she stay's behind?" Lady Possible looked back towards the castle.

For years, Rowan had reckoned the castle as the safest place in Kells but recent events had given Lady Possible's fears some justification. There was no other way; the Possibles HAD to accompany them…but the journey would be no place for a child like Lady Emily. King Conchabar vowed that he would do anything in his power to protect her but…Aideen had agreed to stay by her side. The little fairy was as brave a person as Rowan had ever known and if anyone could protect the child, it was Aideen.

"I would trust Aideen with my life, Lady Possible," Rowan assured her. "She'll be safe."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Shego kept feeling like she was going to throw up. How the hell did she end up in situations like this? They had a chance to get back…but to accomplish it, she had to either bring her eleven year old daughter on a wild goose chase through enemy territory…or leave her behind when those same enemies had already come within an inch of abducting both her daughters already. Every fiber of her being cried out at leaving her daughter anywhere but under Shego's protection…but if they were going to stand any chance of this scheme succeeding, she had to be out there looking…and trusting her eldest daughter to do the same. There were zero good options.

"Momma?"

Shego heaved a sigh and turned towards Gracie.

"Hey, muffin; you ready for this?"

"I think the better question is if YOU are ready."

Shego could only imagine how she must look. She…wasn't thrilled with Gracie going off on her own but…once again, it wasn't like she really had much of a choice. Gracie was the only other experienced meta-human…well…in this century and keeping them together would be too limiting. Gracie had, through nothing more than God Almighty's sense of humor, been training for close to two years for a situation like this. If anyone could handle themselves in a place like this, Gracie Possible could.

"I'll be okay," Shego assured her. "I just…I don't feel right about leaving your sister."

"She'll be okay," Gracie pulled Shego into a hug. "And Princess Deirdre will keep me from making too many mistakes."

Shego gave a small laugh and pulled out of the hug.

"I'll see you back here in 4 days, young lady; and so help me, if you are even an hour late…"

"Yeah, yeah; I know. I'm grounded!"

 _Author's Notes:_

 _After moving in to a new apartment, I've finally managed to unpack my notebooks and begin writing again! It feels great to be working on this again!_

 _I'm almost afraid to speculate on what Ivar will go through out on the trail with the mother of the girl he got caught necking with!_


End file.
